What the Heart Wants
by agdoll95
Summary: Toothless has been alone for years and the solitude has made him bitter. So what happens when he meets Hiccup and turns her life around by turning her into a Night Fury? Hiccup can't go home and Toothless is starting to regret his actions when he falls in love. Will Hiccup accept it or will she push him away?
1. Chapter 1

**Atkiate, here is the other story where Hiccup becomes a Night Fury and they fall in love. This is the first chapter before I write another, just to see what you think.**

Chapter 1

I was out on another raid for the monster we called our leader. It made my blood boil knowing that we had been at the service of a creature who didn't even deserve to be called a dragon. It had been three hundred years and no one has bothered to stand up. While I would have done it myself, I also know that doing so on my own would be suicide. There is a difference between being a coward and fighting smart and me, I choose to fight smart. So until others develop the scales to fight back, I have to grit my teeth and bare it.

It was a beautiful clear night just before dawn. It was on nights like this that I wish that my mate was still alive. She was the most beautiful Dark One, but she was also the last female. She died protecting me, and now, I was all that was left of the Dark Ones. It has been that way for two hundred years. My bitterness grew with not only the monster on our island, but also the humans whom we had to raid to feed that beast. The beast may be the cause of our problems, but the humans were killing us off one by one raid after raid. It was because of them that my mate was gone.

I flew over the island for a few minutes and finally decided to join in the raid. I zoomed in and aimed for one of their launching contraptions and blasted it to rubble. As I flew past, I could hear the humans yelling at one another to jump. I basted it again to make sure to finish it. As it fell apart, I saw another on not far away and decided to get rid of that one too. I flew in close and blasted it.

When I flew past, I felt something wrap itself around me and I could no longer keep myself airborne. I screeched as I fell to the earth and smashed into a tree, snapping it in half and skidding across the ground. I finally came to a stop when I flew over a set of boulders thank the Great Dragons that I didn't hit them. My vision started to blur as the consciousness started to leave me, but I fought to keep my eyes open. But it was no use, in a matter of minutes, I closed my eyes and fell into uneasy unconscious state.

_I was flying with another Dark One. She was so beautiful, with hues of violet in her scales and the most beautiful emerald eyes. She smiled at me and it was like I couldn't help but smile back. All I could feel while flying with her was over-whelming peace, security, and comfort. I this sense that I never wanted anything to happen to her, but I couldn't figure out why. All I knew was that moment, I never wanted the flight to end._

I was shaken from my unconscious state when I felt something on my leg and a voice. I shook it off and let a growl. I could hear whatever it was inch closer, hesitantly. I opened my eyes and saw that it was a young human female. She had one of the weapons the humans used to kill us and though small as it was it could still finish me. I wasn't going to let her be the one to finish me. I used whatever strength I could to break the ropes that held me and pinned her to the boulder behind her.

As I looked into her eyes, something felt familiar about them. I could see something else, fear. I never knew that humans were capable of such emotions cause of the way they slaughtered us without hesitation. Then my thoughts rolled back to the way she approached me. Her hesitant steps, the look of reconsideration she had as she held the knife before I broke loose. Could she have been just as terrified as I had been? Ultimately, I decided to let her live, but not go unpunished.

I focused all my energy and guided it to her body. As I felt the energy leave, I could feel the human's breathing begin to quicken. I screech in to her ears and flew off, thanking the Great Dragons that I hadn't lost a wing.

'I will return soon, human.' I thought as I flew back to the nest.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I watched as the Night Fury flew away. I was still breathing so hard, I thought my lungs would burst and my heart was beating so fast I was afraid it would give out. I let out a sigh of relief and got to my feet to see the Night Fury fly passed Thor's beach. I turned to go back home but my head started to spin and my legs felt wobbly. Finally they gave out and I passed out right there on the ground in the middle of the forest.

_I felt the wind blowing across my face and under my body. I turned my head and saw that I was flying along-side the Night Fury, but for some reason, I wasn't afraid of it anymore. In fact what I felt as I flew by it was peace and comfort. I never want it to end._

I opened my eyes and got up slowly. I picked up my knife and started for home. When I looked at the sky as I walked I noticed that I only could have been out for only a few minutes. When I made it back to the village, I went down to the docks to talk to my Dad about what happened. I saw that he was talking to some of the men returning from another search for the dragons nest. I could hear them talking.

"Continue the search." My Dad ordered.

"With what? We're not just low on ships Stoick, we're low on men." Hoark reminded him.

"Then pull from the defenses."

"And leave the village unprotected?"

"We'll train new recruits. This is a crisis. We need all hands." My Dad said ending the argument.

"All hands?" Hoark said looking up at me.

My looked up too and he saw that I had been listening. He knew I had heard everything, and what I must have been feeling.

I turned and started heading towards the forge, deciding to tell him later. When I go there, I slipped into my apron and work gloves then pulled my hair back.

Gobber saw me come in. "Where have you been lass?"

"I went for a walk just to clear my head about some things." I said dully. "Then I went down to talk to my Dad at the docks."

"I see."

"My Dad was talking about me with one of the other men."

Gobber sized up the meaning instantly as I got to work at the pump warming the fire pit. I then pulled the molten iron out of the pit and poured it into the cast. I dropped the melting bowl into the bucket of water and ran to help Gobber finish the sword.

"Don't take it to heart kid." Gobber said comfortingly or lack thereof. "It's his job to be tough on everyone."

"I'm not everyone. But it doesn't even matter." I sighed. "The guy's impossible to please." I said running over to the anvil. "If I didn't live in the same house as him I'd never even know he was my father."

"Have you told him that?" Gobber asked slamming the sword down.

"Of course not we barely even make eye contact." I answered switching out his club hand with his melding hammer. "And we do it's always with this disappointed scowl like someone skimped on the meat in his sandwich. 'Excuse me barmaid. I'm afraid you brought the wrong offspring. I ordered an extra-large boy with beefy arms, extra guts and glory on the side. This here, this is a talking fish bone.'"

"Now you're thinking about this all wrong. It's not so much what you look like, it's what inside that he can't stand." Gobber said laughing.

"Thank you for summing that up." I said sarcastically.

"No I mean there's the Viking way and then there's your way and your way makes grown men uncomfortable."

"Speaking of uncomfortable, I'd like a new conversation please."

"Alright, how's it going with the guys." He said wooingly.

"Oh yeah way to get the mood back on track." I said sarcastically again.

"Oh come on. I've seen the way you look at Fishlegs."

"Please, Fishlegs would come near me even if he was on fire and I had the only bucket of water in town."

"Hey, can I get this fixed." I heard Fishlegs ask from the door.

"Hi Fishlegs, What can I, I mean we do for…" I asked unable to finish my question as he laid his hammer down on the table.

"My, uh, lovely apprentice here will service all your needs." Gobber said shoving me towards Fishlegs. "I have to go get, uh, yeah I'm just going to go outside." He said walking away humming.

"Gobber. What can you do right?" I said laughing lightly. "So what can I do for you?" I said brushing my bangs out of my face.

"My hammer keeps swinging too far to the left even when I try to swing it right." He said handing it to me.

I struggled to keep it up, but I hauled to my work desk to check it out. "Okay, let's see what I can do here." I said trying to sound professional. "So I saw guys out on fire patrol last night, you guys were awesome." I said undoing the nut and loop that held the hammer together.

"Yeah, but Astrid said that she was disappointed that she didn't get burned." Fishlegs said probably feeling just as awkward as I was.

"That's Astrid for you. You know she's not having fun unless she gets a scar out of it." I said laughing pulled the handle out of place. "Well here's the problem, this handle is old, shot."

"How old is it?"

"Old enough that I can do this." I said breaking it against my leg. "The only thing it would be good for at this point is fire wood." I explained tossing it into the fire pit. "What you need is a new handle. I'll see what I have." I said going to check the handles we had in storage.

As I looked through them, I would turn my head every few seconds to see Fishlegs Staring at me. I finally found what I was looking for. "Feel this." I said holding out the best handle we had.

"What is this?" Fishlegs asked in awe at how strong it felt.

"What you are feeling is the only handle on the island made of the strongest wood known, mahogany." I explained feeling pretty good about this. I was sure he was impressed with this. "With a handle like this, I guarantee that the next time the handle has to be changed, this hammer will belong to your great-great grandchildren."

"That is so cool." Fishlegs said sounding very impressed.

"Yeah, yeah it is." I said feeling my heart start to race.

"Where did you get that?"

"I got it from Trader Johann. Traded a few spy glasses, battle axe sets for a supply. I had enough left over and made it into this handle."

"Wow. Trader Johann always has the coolest stuff for trade doesn't he?"

"Yes he does." I said starting to get the handle through the notch.

I heard the curtain to my private workshop open. "No you're not supposed to be…"

"What is all this?" Fishlegs asked in awe.

"That? That's nothing, just some ideas for this project I'm working on." I said feeling totally embarrassed. "Kind of confidential, upper level development, not really supposed to talk about it stuff."

"The mutilater?"

"Yeah. Basically it used twin weighted counter levers the swing crisscrossing blades in four different directions." I explained finishing the hammer.

"How do you hold it?" He asked coming out of my work shop.

"You don't, you, you shoot it." I answered quietly.

"Sounds pretty cool. I'd like to see it when it's done."

"You would?"

"Yeah. Is my hammer done?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah here." I said quickly handing it to him. For some reason, it didn't feel as heavy as it did before, but at the time, I really didn't care.

"Whoa, it feels so much lighter now." Fishlegs exclaimed flabbergasted.

"Yeah. You see, your weapon is supposed to be an extension of yourself. With your hammer…" I started to explain standing behind him, taking his hand in mine, guiding it with each swing. "...you should be able to swing it freely. Smooth, fluid strokes." I explained feeling a heavy blush across my face.

When I let go, I could see Fishlegs had the same on his face. "Hey Fishlegs, you coming to practice or what?" my cousin Snotlout called.

Fishlegs turned to leave. "So I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, I guess you will." I said finding myself lost for words.

When he was gone I got back to work finishing the sword. As I finished and placed it on the rack, my head started to pound. It felt someone was hammering down on my head. I tried to sit down to rest but my vision started to go black. I started for the door to go for help, but I lost my strand of consciousness before I could even take a step.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When I opened my eyes, my entire body ached. I lifted my head and for some reason, my eyes were seeing everything clear as day. As I got out of bed I felt a little clumsier than usual and my moves felt heavier.

My Dad came up the stairs and looked at me with pure shock. "Dad, are you okay?" I asked.

All of a sudden, he drew his sword and lunged at me. "Dad! What are you doing! It's me!" I screamed. He moved at me again.

I could see that he wasn't listening and I knew that if I didn't get out he was going to kill me. I looked around my room for anyway I could get out. I looked up and saw my window above my bed. As my Dad made another move at me, I lunged out of the way and jumped out the window. At this point, I just didn't want to see my Dad right now. I just wanted some time alone to think so I ran into the woods.

As I tried to run, I kept tripping over my feet. I tried to stand up but every time I got up on two legs, I couldn't walk right. I was getting more and more worried about what was wrong with me. I trudged to the nearest river and looked at my reflection. What I saw next made me hope to the gods that I was just having a nightmare.

I was a Night Fury. My eyes were a shocking emerald green, my body was covered in black scales with violet hues in the way the moon light touched them, my ears were long and semi-pointed, my teeth were short and sharp, and on my back I could see two long dark wings. I looked down at my feet, and saw strong dark claws.

"This isn't happening, this can't be happening." I kept rant and eventually screaming at myself. I closed my eyes and kept urging myself to wake up, but no matter how many times I opened and closed my eyes, nothing changed. It was all too real.

"Please for the love of Thor, let this be a dream." I began to cry, my eyes filling with tears.

After stumbling in the woods for a couple hours, I finally figured the use of my legs and ran for a place to think. But unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention and lost my footing at the edge of a cove and fell in. The landing didn't hurt too badly but what was I going to do now? I didn't know how to fly, I barely even knew how to walk in this new body, and the walls were too steep and slippery from all the rain for me to climb out.

It was official, I was not going anywhere and any minute now my Dad and some of the other villagers were going to be out looking for me to kill me. Then I remembered that my Dad was planning a fleet to go look for the dragon's nest. Hopefully, I would have a little more time to figure something out.

I looked up at the sky and saw that dawn was nearly here. I decided to rest for a little while and try to save my strength. I found a spot under a ledge completely overtaken by tree roots. I crawled under the ledge and settled down. I had a hard time closing my eyes. Too many thoughts were running through my head.

'How did this happen? Was this because of the Night Fury I shot down? Are the gods punishing me for it? How am I supposed to change back? Will I ever change back? Will I ever see my Dad, Gobber, Fishlegs, or any of the people I loved ever again. Yeah, most of them pretty much pushed me around or avoided me all together but still they're the people I care about most and I would give anything to change back, to go home and pretend that this never happened.'

These thoughts and more raced through my mind, but my eyes eventually got heavy and I fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I had finally managed to sneak out of the nest to return to the humans' island. Thank the Great Dragons that the beast was resting and didn't pay attention when I left. As I flew over the ocean, I kept wondering if the human had changed by now and what she would look like. As I flew over the village across the early brightening sky, I started to wonder where she was. Her scent wasn't near the village and I couldn't stay in the sky or the humans would see me.

I landed in the forest and continued on foot. As I sniffed around for the human's scent, I started to notice that her scent had started to change to the darker, hotter scent of a Dark One. I knew then that the change had happened and she was somewhere on this island. I couldn't wait to see her.

I caught myself wondering why I was so eager to see her. She shot me down and threatened to kill me. This was her punishment, so why was I so eager to see her?

I continued deeper into the forest and came across a beautiful cove. As I looked around, I picked up the smell of blood. I took a leap into the cove and the smell got stronger. She was down here. I started to look around wondering where she could be hiding. I left nothing to chance, I looked every little detail everywhere to find her.

Her scent got stronger under a ledge covered by tree roots. I walked under the ledge and saw her for the first time since I left her to change. As I looked at her, something seemed familiar about her. A ray of sunlight passed through the root and I saw the light touch her scales and that was when I noticed the hues of violet. Realization came on top of me like a boulder falling over a mountain-side.

She was the Dark One from my dream. She was the one who was supposed to fly with me. I couldn't believe it, this human who had tried to kill me, I was supposed to become friends with her? How could I befriend someone who tried to kill me?

But then I remembered why I allowed her to live and change into a Dark One in the first place. I remembered the hesitation I had seen in her eyes before I broke loose and the fear I had seen after I pinned her. I had spared her life because I felt curious. I wondered how someone who had probably slaughtered hundreds of my kind could feel such emotions let alone hesitate to kill to me. But I had changed her to punish her for shooting me down.

As these thoughts played in my mind, the newly changed Dark One began to stir. I stepped back to make sure she wouldn't be able to try anything when she was awake.

When she opened her eyes and looked at me, she jumped back and pushed herself back against the ledge wall. The look in her eyes showed complete fear again.

"I told you I would be back." I said looking at her and still in wonder about how she could feel fear.

"You can talk?" she gasped.

"Of course I can, just as you can."

"But you never said anything before."

"Let me rephrase, you can talk just as I can. You are talking like me, not the other way around."

"What no, I am human, I can't talk to dragons." She said sounding like she was starting to panic.

"Perhaps you haven't seen your reflection yet, but you are no longer a human. You are a Dark One like me. One of the last." I explained stepping closer. "Go look in the water, you'll see."

She looked at me hesitantly and slowly made her way to the small lake in the middle of the cove. As she looked into the water, she hung her head.

"So it really wasn't a dream after all. I really have become a Night Fury." She said sounding like she was going to cry.

Humans couldn't cry, could they? I stepped closer and saw that her eyes were shining and wet with tears.

"Why are you crying?" I asked.

"Because, now I have lost everything. I can't go home to my father, my mentor, my friends. If I do, they'll never know it's me and they'll kill me. My own father didn't even recognize me. He practically chased out of our house and is wondering where I am and what has happened to me." She replied with a voice sounding like she fighting the tears.

"Let me rephrase again, how are you crying? Humans can't cry." I asked again.

"Of course humans can cry. We just try not to because a lot of us believe crying to be a sign of weakness. Me, I believe it be a sign that there is emotion in us, though, I'm pretty sure I am the only one who thinks that way." she said wiping her tears away. "Why am I talking to you like this? You did this to me why? Why would you take everything from me?" she said jumping away.

"I changed you because I was curious, you were the only human I have ever seen who has shown any emotion, but also to punish you for what you did to me." I explained sitting up on my hunches.

"What did I do to you?" she cried stepping farther back.

"You shot my down and threatened to kill me. I wanted you to see how it felt to be hunted and hated. Also, I wanted to learn. Learn how is it that humans are capable of emotion when they slaughter so many and why you were so hesitant when you could have killed me so easily. I understand that you think that it is no excuse for me changing you into a Dark One but I didn't know any other way."

"Dark One? You mean Night Fury." She said curiously.

"No Dark One. Night Fury may be what humans call us, but among dragons we are known as Dark Ones." I explained. "Now come, we must leave the island before the humans find us here."

"You mean fly?" she asked nervously.

"How else would we get off the island?"

"I can't. I don't know how to fly." She replied as if ashamed of that.

"I should have figured that. You have only been a Dark One for a few hours so of course you wouldn't know how." The female shot me an 'excuse me' look. "So I'll teach you."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It was official this was the weirdest and worst day of my life. First I find out that I have been turned into a Night Fury, then I find out that the one who did it, did it because he was curious and angry, now, I learn that if I want to get off the island to avoid being killed I have to learn to fly. As if my life hadn't been rough enough. Now everything I knew was about to change and I could never go back.

The Night Fury got me started right away although it was kind of embarrassing that he had to see me still learning how to walk.

"I suppose I should start by teaching you how to use your body first. I see you are still having trouble using your legs." He said looking down at me.

"I have trying to get use to my body since I found out that I was a Nigh… Dark One." I stammered.

"Cause when I found you, you were sleeping."

"I had spent hours in the forest trying to get away from my father who tried to kill me." I argued.

"No excuse. Let's get started." He said taking control. "I suppose we will start from the beginning. First, you must trust your body to support you as you move, do not second guess yourself because that is where you will stumble and or fall and get hurt."

"How am I supposed to 'trust' my body if I can't even stand up without losing balance?" I asked feeling embarrassed having to be taught how to walk again like a two year old.

"By not thinking about what you want your body to and just doing it. If you lose yourself in the movement it will soon become second nature to you. Trust your body to know what to do, not your mind. The mind plays tricks." He explained getting up and showing me how to walk.

I stood up fine, but every time I tried to take a step, I wobbled and almost always ell over. Weight kept shifting with each step. It took me several hours and like a million stumbles and falls before I could walk without feeling like I was going to fall. It didn't feel so wrong for me to feel my weight shifting with each step. It didn't feel so heavy or hampered anymore. And surprisingly, the Night Fury wasn't a bad teacher. He did raise his voice a few times, but he was patient and pointed me in the right direction if I made a mistake.

That's more than my Dad or Gobber did for me. My Dad just looked at me like I would never get it right and Gobber believed in 'learning on the job'. I speak from experience when I say that it is not always a good idea to learn on the job. I cannot even remember how many times I got burned when I was first learning to work with Gobber in the forge.

The Night Fury's voice shook me from my thoughts. "Is something bothering you? You have not spoken for a while." He asked standing next to me.

"It's nothing. It's just that you have been one of the only one who has taught me anything and not looked at like I'm a mistake or told me I had to learn on my own. That's more than anyone has ever done for me. So I wanted to say Thank you." I said looking him in the eye with sincerity

"There is nothing to thank me for. I am only doing what is necessary to get us off the island alive. While your gratitude is appreciated, it is not necessary." He said looking away. "But your welcome." He said looking back with his own gratitude.

I didn't know why at the time, but for some reason I thought I saw something changing in his eyes. When I first saw those eyes, they were full of anger and yet a faint trace of curiosity. Now I some part of me was seeing pain and understanding. And another part was feeling like we had more in common than either one of us knew about each other.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The female proved to be an exceptional student. As we walked through the lessons I noticed that she was a hands on learner. And a fast one at that. I never admitted to her but I was impressed.

We continued the lessons until I saw that she walking in her new body as if she were born that way. I could not believe how fast she learned everything I had to teach her. At the rate she was going, we would be off the island in maybe three days.

At the end of the day, she asked something no one has ever asked me before.

"What is your name?" she asked as we were settling down for the night.

"Excuse me?"

"It's just you haven't told me your name yet and I just think that maybe it would put us on better terms of communication if we knew what to call each other." She explained.

"I don't have one. Dragons haven't had names for centuries. The last dragon to have a name was my father and he died three hundred years ago at a young age." I explained settling down on my bed of cinders.

"How old was your father?" she asked her brimming with curiosity.

"He was only five hundred years old. Too young to die and too young to leave me and my mother to fend for ourselves." I replied bitterness creeping into my voice.

"I am so sorry."

"Don't be. I wasn't your fault, you were never there. He died protecting me and mother. We begged him to escape with his but he insisted that he had to stay and fight to keep us safe. By the time we even came close to the opening in the nest, it was too late, we were trapped. So my father's sacrifice was for nothing. If I had the chance again I would have forced him to come with us." He explained. I could feel the bitterness growing stronger.

"Why were trying to escape your nest? What happened?"

"Our home was invaded by a monster who was forcing our kind to hunt for it or we would become the hunted. If none of us brought any food back, we would become the food. After it took over our home, every one lost their significance. No one was ever called by name again."

"What were your parents' names?" she asked with heavy sympathy in her voice.

"Keir and Keena." I replied feeling the bitterness I felt before fading.

"Dark and Bravery. Those are beautiful names." The female said in a calming voice that made my bitterness fade away completely.

It felt strange to me. I had been willing to tear everything away from this female to punish her for what she had done to me and here she was comforting me and showing me sympathy for everything in my past. Just hearing her sent this warm wave through me and made me wonder, what was she up to.

"Why are asking me these questions? What are you up to?" I asked thinking that she was trying pull something and was trying to learn my past to use against me.

"Nothing. I just want to know what I should call you. And I wanted to tell you my name so you know what to call me." She said calm but defensive.

"No, I mean are you trying to trick me? Are you not angry about what I have done to you?" I asked thinking that this was part of her plan.

"No. I understand why you did what you did. And I am a little hurt but there is nothing that I can do about it. All I can do is get through it and learn how to live as I am. That is how it has been for me my entire life. If I can't change it, then all I can do is get over or through it. I am sorry for what I did to you and if I could have the chance again, I would have just stayed in the forge like Gobber told me. I am sorry." She explained with her eyes shining.

"How can you just accept this? I took everything from you and here you are acting as if nothing has changed." I asked stunned to see that she was just letting this happen to her.

"Like I said, I have to deal with things like this my whole life. If I could do anything to change it, I just had to learn to deal with it." She explained.

"Why do pretend? I can see that this hurts you yet you act as if it doesn't affect you. Why?" I pushed.

"I've had to. Ever since I lost my mother, I have had to hide all my pain because if I show it or act on it, I get in trouble or I end up hurting someone. So I have to just keep my feeling to myself and hide my emotions to keep myself from getting in trouble."

"That is no reason to hide how you really feel about things. Emotions are give us drive, reasons to go on to fight for what we want, what we are and what we believe. To hide them is a crime in its self."

"All my life I have been afraid to show my emotions because I was afraid of hurting the people I love. Have you ever had so much emotion built up inside you that you afraid to let it out all at once?" she asked as I saw tears starting to pool in her eyes.

"Yes. But holding it in is not a good thing. It can cause severe health implications. That is why you must let it out. If you are ashamed, don't be, all dragons are there to support other dragons in emotional turmoil. We are a very big family. We are there for each other. Just let it, I can see you are fighting to keep it in right now." I urged.

As if she was expecting me to say that, she burst into tears and leaned her head on my shoulder. I felt the impulse to pull away, but something told me she needed me. So I remained where I was. As she cried, I felt the same wave of warmth I felt earlier as she was asking about my family. Why did feel this way?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Now I understood why the Night Fury said that I shouldn't hold my emotions in. It felt good to let it all out. I cried until I was sure that all my tears had dried up.

When I lifted my head, the Night Fury finally spoke again. "See how much better it is to let it out instead of holding it all in?" he asked looking down at me while I wiped my eyes.

"Yeah it feels kind of good. I haven't cried so much since the night my mother was murdered."

"Your mother was a murdered? What happened?" He asked looking at me with surprise.

"This other tribe invaded our home and she died trying to protect me. The last thing she said to me was, 'You'll always be in my heart.' The same thing she would sing for me when she would sing to me at night. I was only six years old. To make things worse, ever since she died, my Dad has looked at me like a disappointment. Sometimes I think he blames me for my mother's death." I explained feeling a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders.

"My mother died protected me too. The death of someone you love is something that takes its toll on all those loved by that loved one." He said with understanding in his voice.

"How did you get over it?" I asked.

"One gets over the loss of a claw or a tooth. But the death of a loved is something you don't ever get over. You can only get through it." He said putting his wing over me.

"Thank you." I said rubbing my head against his neck.

After a few seconds he pulled away. "Don't read too much into this. I am still angry about what you did."

"Now it is my turn to ask why you pretend? You ask say you are angry at me about shooting you down and yet you ask me about my past and advise me about how to handle my pains and emotions. Why do act like you hate me?" I pushed.

"You're right, what I have done is hypocritical. I act like I hate you because I didn't want you to know that this whole day while I was training you, you have reminded me of my mate. I didn't want you to know because I didn't want you to think that I was falling in love with because you remind me of her." I could sense that he was embarrassed to tell me this. Now it was my turn.

"I understand. Now it's my turn to tell you how I feel. I have grown to care about you too. But it's because you have given me what I have always wanted. You haven't given up on me. While we were training, you didn't give up when I messed up. No one has ever done that for me. Except Fishlegs. He was the only other person who could talk me without teasing me or looked at me like I was a disappointment. I want to thank you for that."

When I was done explaining, the look in his eyes told me he had been in my place before. Alone and just wanting to feel like we had someone to love and who loved us back.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

We continued to talk for a couple more hours and the female started to yawn. I could see her eyes were getting heavy.

"Perhaps you should get some rest. We start training again first thing in the morning." I explained.

"Wait, if you don't have a name, maybe I could give you one?" She asked timidly.

I thought about it for a moment. It would be nice to have a name, but no dragon has had a name since the monster invaded our home, and I was afraid that the name would change me. But this female was not afraid, so maybe, I shouldn't be afraid either.

"I'd love that." I responded softly.

"Uh, how about Toothless?"

"What? Why of things did you think of that?" I asked flabbergasted at her choice of names.

"I noticed how your teeth go in and out, I thought it would be a fun play of names if you were called something to match." She explained with a tired grin. "If you don't like it, I can change it."

"No, I like Toothless. Toothless is fine." I said settling down. "I suppose you have a name?" I asked.

"My names Hiccup. It's not the best name, but it's not the worst either. It's not one I would have chosen, but it wasn't really my choice. So I guess, I just have to live with it." She said yawning and falling asleep.

I watched as she slept and laid my head down for a few minutes, thinking about what this female… what Hiccup had just done for me. She had, after all these years, given me a name. As ridicules as it was, it was still my name. Now I knew her name, and it wasn't as silly as mine, but still she seemed to accept that it was her name and no one else's. Just like the name she gave me was mine and mine alone. I was happier than I had been in a long time.

Slowly my eyes began to close. As I drifted off, I thought about what the female had told me, how she lost her mother, how she had no one to turn to and how she has hide her emotions for so long. I began to wonder, maybe she and I have more in common than I thought and maybe she knew this too.

_I was flying over the crater in our nest with Hiccup close behind me. She was close and seemed terrified to be here._

_"Just stay with me. I won't let anything happen to you." I promised._

_"I trust you." She said looking up at me. The look in her eyes told me she was still afraid, but she trusted me to enough to believe that I would protect her._

_We flew over and hid behind a stalagmite. We watched as the others dropped the food they had gathered and flew over to their hollows. The last to deliver was a Bulbous One. He dropped a small fish and tried to fly._

_"IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE GATHERED FOR ME! ALL THIS TIME AND ALL YOU GIVE ME IS THIS!" He shouted form below._

_His head rose up out of the red smoke and his jaws closed around the Bulbous One. I felt Hiccup shudder beside me._

_"What is that?" she asked her voice shaking._

_"That is the monster." I said bitterness dripping in my voice as the monster disappeared back down into the red smoke._

_Its head returned. "I see you brought no food either Dark Ones, so now, you will join the Bulbous One!" he shouted as he made a move for us._

_"Toothless, help!" I heard Hiccup shriek. I turned around and I saw that that beast had his jaws around her tail._

_I dove in after them and pulled to get her free. The last thing I saw was Hiccup and I flying out of the nest with her bleeding and her flight slowing dangerously down._

I woke with a start. I looked at where Hiccup was sleeping and saw that she was still safe and unharmed. I heaved a sigh of relief. I didn't know why, but I suddenly felt that, this female was all that mattered to me now. I didn't know why, but I wasn't in the right state mind to question it. I just laid back down and fell back to sleep.

_"You feel this way because you love her. You have grown attached to her and you have found your new treasure." I heard._

_I looked around for the voice and saw that it was my mate. She was still as beautiful as the first time I saw her._

_"Why did you have to go? You should have let me fight off the humans that night, not you." I asked as we hugged._

_"Life is like the forest. Where one thing falls, another grows. Maybe not what was there before but something new and wonderful." She said as she hugged me tight. "That female needs you now, and whether or not you know it, you need her too." She said pulling away._

_"But I miss you so much."_

_"I will always be with you. No matter where you go or what happens to you, I will always be with you, in here." She said nudging my heart._

I woke up and saw that Hiccup was already up and ready. She was up on the ledge. It looked like she was trying to practice flying without any prior teachings.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I stopped her.

"I thought that I should at least practice the easy stuff before you get into all the harder stuff you have to teach me." She explained.

"There is nothing easy about flying the first time." I said sternly pulling her down off the ledge. "There are still some things about using your body that you haven't learned yet. Come with me."

We walked around to a safe spot by the lake. I checked everything out and saw that this was the safest spot for her to practice her movements before I would teach her how to fly.

"First you must get used to the feeling of your new wings. You have only been a dragon for two days and you have yet to use your wings. So first things first, I will teach you how to use your wings." I explained opening mine.

As I explained how the wings worked and showed her how to move and control them, she seemed like she was learning faster than I did. I was a little envious, but I was also a little impressed. If this kept up, we would be out of this cove in a few days.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I watched in total awe as Toothless opened his wings. Just seeing how powerful his wings could be gave me an idea of how strong mine could be. Watching him and learning everything he was showing me made my heart pound so hard I thought that he could hear it too.

'What am I thinking? He's a dragon plus, what about Fishlegs?' I scolded myself.

But then I remembered something, I wouldn't be able to see to see Fishlegs anymore. If I went back, I would be killed. Just thinking about that made my heart go from excited about the lesson to ill from longing. I had wanted to tell Fishlegs that I liked him, but could never find the right time or the right words to say. Now I would never get that chance because now that I was a Night Fury, I could never go back and tell him, not that he would even understand me. If my Dad didn't then what were the odds that Fishlegs would? 'Slim to none.' I thought to myself.

"Are you paying attention?" Toothless scolded shaking me from my thoughts.

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking about this friend of mine form back home. I never got the chance to tell him that I liked him and now, I might never get that chance because if I went back now, I would definitely be killed. Even if I could get to him with getting my head chopped off, he wouldn't even understand me just like my Dad." I explained looking at the ground.

"It's for the better that you not find out. You are right if you do go back now you will be killed. So for now I'll make you a deal, once your training is complete, before we leave the island I'll let you say good-bye to your friend." He offered.

It still hurt that I would soon have to leave my home forever, but I knew it was for the best and it gave me some comfort to know that I would be given the chance to say good –bye to Fishlegs and Gobber.

"Okay, deal." I agreed.

"Good, now back to the lesson." He said starting again. "The reason it is so difficult the first time you tried to open your wings is because you are still in the, 'if I do this I am going to fall' state of mind. You have to learn to ignore that otherwise your wings will close and you will fall if try to fly." He explained walking over to me and helping me relax the muscles in my back and shoulders. "Just relax and pull the muscles at the base of your wings toward the center of your back and shoulders and they will open. Release them to lower them. When you are in flight, you have to do this repeatedly in order to pump your wings to keep you airborne. Now try it on your own."

I followed what he said, and it felt weird to be pulling these new muscles that I had only had for two days, but after a few minutes, it didn't feel so abnormal anymore. Once I got the feel of it, it wasn't so hard to move them anymore. Toothless was really being an awesome teacher.

The lessons continued up until we got to how to control the tail and the fins on them. That one was proving to be the most difficult. But after a few hours and several times of smacking myself or Toothless with my tail while trying to get it to cooperate, I finally got it under control and learned how to move the fins like they had always been a part of me.

"Good. I think we should stop for the day and start the flight training tomorrow." He said starting for the ledge.

"But it's not even dusk yet. I'm ready to learn."" I begged but as to kill my argument, my stomach growled and Toothless looked at me with an 'That's why' look.

"You have to eat." He finally said.

"But I don't even know how to fish yet. You haven't taught me that yet." I argued.

"That is why I will be the one who will hunt and find food and you will be staying right here until I get back." He said flying off.

"Like I have a choice." I called after him.

After he was gone, I spent the time practicing with the use of my wings and tail. If I was going to learn how to fly tomorrow, I had to be ready and my wings and tail had to be strong. By the time Toothless got back, my wings and tail were sore.

"I thought I told you we would resume training tomorrow." He scolded.

"I was just practicing for my flight lesson tomorrow. My wings and tail have to stronger if they are going to keep my airborne aren't they?"

"Yes, but if you can't even lift them because you over work them it won't do much good will it?" he deadpanned.

I had to admit, he was right. Flight training would do much good if I couldn't even move the parts of me that mattered the most for flight.

"Okay. So where's the food." I asked.

In answer to my question, Toothless started to gag and a pile of fish came spilling out of his mouth. I started to gag too, for different reasons.

"It's okay, it's nothing to be appalled at. Just eat." He said taking a large cod in his mouth and swallowing it in two bites.

Slowly, I took a small salmon in my mouth and slower swallowed that. To my surprise it tasted better than I thought it would. I started to take in more salmon and cod as Toothless also ate his fill. Once everything was gone, we settled down under the ledge and laid down for the night.

I had a hard time falling asleep. After a few hours of tossing and turning, I got up and went for a walk around the cove. I stopped at a certain spot by the lake and looked at my reflection in the water. It still seemed weird to be seeing everything at night clear as day. But right now, it didn't seem to bother me as much.

"Can't sleep?" a voice from behind me said. I turned around and saw it was Toothless.

"Yeah, just too much on my mind I guess." I sighed in relief.

"What is on your mind?" He asked sitting down next to me.

"I was thinking that, maybe it's for the best you did this to me. I mean, I never fit in with the other Vikings anyway and everyone treated like I was a mistake. But as a dragon, maybe I would fit in better with other dragons."

"Maybe."

All my life, all I ever wanted was for my Dad to be proud of me. But no matter how hard or what I tried he always looked at me like I was nothing but the greatest disappointment of his life."

I looked at my reflection again.

Look at me, I will never pass for a perfect warrior, or a perfect daughter. Can it be I'm not meant to play this part? Now I see that if I were truly to be myself, I would break my father's heart.

Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me? Why is my reflection someone I don't know? Somehow I cannot hide who I am though I've tried. When will my reflection show who I am inside? When will my reflection show who I am inside?

I sang sadly. When the song ended, Toothless put his wing around me.

"I can already see who you really are. You don't have to try to be one of them. You are who you choose to be." He said comfortingly.

"Thanks Toothless." I said nudging my head against his.

"How about we go back to sleep now. We have a long day of training in the morning." He suggested.

"Sure." I said getting up and following him back to the ledge.

I laid back down and I finally got to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

When I opened my eyes, I saw Hiccup was still asleep. That wouldn't have bothered me if it weren't for where she was sleeping.

Her head was pressed against my side and the rest of her was curled up tight against me. I stood up and walked briskly away. I shook off the feeling of awkwardness and walked toward the lake. I dipped my head into the water and shook off the last remains of drowsiness. I looked back and saw that Hiccup was still asleep.

I decided to let her sleep a little longer and went out to hunt. As I was diving in and out of the ocean I could feel a hot flash brush across my face. It felt so strange, I had experienced anything like it since I first met and first mate. Then something crossed my mind, was I falling in love with Hiccup?

'No that can't be. I have only known her for three days. There is no way that I could have feelings for her.' I shouted in my mind.

But then what my mate said to me the other night came to mind. _"You feel this way because you love her. You have grown attached to her and you have found your new treasure."_

I had known her to never lie. So maybe I was falling in love with Hiccup, but why was I falling in love with someone I had only known for a few days, someone who had shot me down and I had decided to punish for it.

As these questions ran around my head, I flew back toward the cove. When I got there, I was tackled to the ground. After I could catch my breath, I felt someone rubbing their face against mine. I looked and saw that it was Hiccup.

"What are you doing?" I asked in shock.

"She looked at me and jumped back. "I thought you were gone, that you had left me. I was just so happy to see you back." She replied with tears in her eyes.

"Is your faith in me really that little? How could I leave you here when you and I may be the last Dark Ones in existence? No, until you can fly and take care of yourself, I'm staying with you. Whether you like it or not." I replied hoping my statement would cover up my growing feelings for her.

She looked at me and smiled. I knew why, but I didn't respond. I just dropped the fish I was carrying and we ate until it was time for us to resume her training.

She proved to be better at it than either one of us thought. Once she got the feel of her wings, it was like everything feel into place. Got the hang everything, right down to the correct tail and wing formations. Again I felt a little envious, but proud of her. I hadn't felt this way since my mate first said she would be mine.

By night fall, we were practicing advanced aerial combat without the use of fire. I hadn't taught this yet because I wanted to wait until we were off the island for her to breathe fire. At one point she lost focus and fell out of the sky into the forest. I banked down and followed her. When I found her, she looked like she had taken a pretty bad fall. Though she didn't have any serious injuries. As I looked her over, I noticed she had a large cut on her side. I pressed my paw against the wound and focused my magic to it. Within moments the wound was gone and Hiccup was awake.

"I'm sorry. I just got lost in thought and lost control there for a second." She apologized when she was back on her feet.

"You can't lose focus while in the air, not even for a second, because that is when you make mistakes and you will fall." I scolded. "Come on, let's go back to the cove. We leave here first thing in the morning."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I had a hard time falling asleep. Toothless fell asleep without any problems, I on the other hand just couldn't get my eyes to close. My thoughts kept drifting back to my family and all the people I cared about. All the ones I'd be leaving behind. Then I remembered how my Dad looked at me when he chased me out of our house. Did he even recognize me, or did he just see a Night Fury in my room and that was all the excuse he needed to kill me?

These questions rattled in my head. I finally couldn't take it anymore. I got up and walked a short distance away from Toothless. I didn't want to wake him up when I took off. I thought about what I was about to do and what the consequences would be but even that wasn't enough. I took off and flew towards the village. I had to see them before I left forever.

The first place I stopped was my house. Even though he wasn't there, I had to say good bye to. I jumped in through the window above my bed and quietly crawled down stairs. I stopped in my tracks when I saw my Dad sleeping down stairs.

'So he is home. Did he ever leave on that search after he saw me?' I thought as I got closer and gave a small nudge and silently climbed back up the stairs out the window. As I quietly ran through the village, I looked back on more time at my house.

'Good bye Dad. I love you.' I thought as I headed to Fishlegs house.

I saw that his window was open and jumped in. Thank Thor that he was asleep. I got closer and nudged his face the same way I did my Dad's. It was the only way I knew how to say good bye. Once I was sure that I was done, I jumped out and made my way to the forge. I had to say good bye to Gobber and destroy my notes and designs.

When I made it I saw that Gobber was still up. I knew it was risky going in, but if I waited too long, Toothless would see that I was gone and probably be all over my hyde about leaving the cove without him.

Toothless had been telling me for days, ever since I learned to fly, that I wasn't to leave the cove without him because I hadn't yet learned to defend myself yet. But since this was the last night I would be on the island where I was born, I knew that Toothless would allow me to say good bye before we left, but I just wanted this to be my own special time to see my family before I said good bye forever.

I waited two hours before Gobber finally left and went into his own house. When the light finally went out, I snuck into the forge and the back room where I kept my notes. Not to make a scene, I concentrated my fire and gave a small blast to burn the pages but not the walls. I watched as everything I had designed and worked on ever since I was made Gobber's apprentice disappear in small fires around me. It was almost too painful to see it all go but it was the only way to make sure that none of my work ever hurt other dragons.

I don't know when I had become so attached to dragons, but ever since I grew to care deeply for Toothless, I knew that I wouldn't want anything I made to hurt him. To him the dragons were family and now they were apart of mine as I was now one of them. And we protect family.

Once the last page was gone, I left and went back to Gobber's house. I couldn't jump through the window because Gobber always kept his window closed at night. I quietly pushed the door open and crawled up the stairs and nudged his head saying good bye and thank you for everything and for being a great mentor. I crept back out and closed the door. I made my way quietly out of the village to edge if the forest.

I took one last look back and flew back to the cove. I made it back and settled down beside Toothless. I finally felt better and closed my eyes and hoped that we would be safe when we left. I didn't know where he planned to go, but hoped that it was somewhere I could forget all the pain I had to get through in my life. Somewhere I could start over.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I opened my eyes and saw that Hiccup was back. When she was gone the night before I was afraid she had left me, like she was afraid I had left her. I was ready to fly out of the cove to look for her. But something in the back of my mind told me she would be back and to just wait for her.

Reluctantly, I listened and just went back to my place. Now I see why, she did come back. Though I was curious where and why she had gone. I nudged her head and she moaned but opened her eyes. I saw a slight shade of red in her eyes and I knew she had been gone for a while.

"Where did you go last night?" I came out, not mincing words.

"You knew?" she asked tired and surprised.

"I woke up and saw that you were gone and was worried sick. I was worried that something had happened to you."

"I'm sorry." She said bowing her head in an ashamed fashion. "I couldn't sleep and I wanted to see my family one more time. I left to say good bye."

"I thought I told you not to leave this cove for the village without me." I scolded

"I know, and I know you promised to let me say good bye before we left but I just wanted it to be special to me. Everyone was asleep, I swear. No one saw me." She explained hastily.

I sighed. This female was going to drive me crazy. "Well since you've already said good bye, I am guessing you are ready to go then?" I said shaking my head.

"Yes." She replied with slight sobs and tears in her eyes.

We walked out of from under the ledge and got ready for takeoff. I launched without any troubles, but before Hiccup could take off, ropes with stones tied to the ends wrapped around her and she crashed to the ground in mid-launch.

"Hiccup!" I cried flying back down to help her.

But then I was trapped as well. Humans started pouring into the cove.

"There it is and it looks like this Night Fury wasn't alone." One of them said looking at Hiccup and me.

"Doesn't matter. One of them will pay for what they did to my daughter." A human we had grown to call the Red Killer said as he stepped closer.

"Dad please it's me! Just look at me and you will see that it's me!" Hiccup cried as they started to pull us onto carts and locking us in.

I looked at her in surprise. The leader of the humans who had killed so many of my people was her father? She was so submissive and compassionate, loving and willing to learn. Everything these humans weren't. How could someone so unforgiving be her flesh and blood? It was then that I began to regret what I had done to her. The humans needed her, to show them there are other ways, other options to deal with their problems. That things are not always what they seem, there are two sides to each story. And I took her away from the people who needed her most.

I was shaken form my thoughts when I heard Hiccup cry out in pain. I looked and saw that they were trying to force her head into a muzzle and she was fighting crying out for her father to listen to her even though she knew that he couldn't understand her.

"Knock it out." Red Killer ordered. "Both of them. We'll get them to the arena faster if they aren't putting up a fight." The last thing I saw was a club struck across Hiccup's head. Then darkness overtook me.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

I came to slowly. My head was throbbing and I couldn't move. No matter how much I struggled, whatever was holding me held fast. When my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed something else.

'Where's Hiccup? I thought starting to panic.

When I called for her, she didn't answer. I started pulling harder on the restraints but they just wouldn't give. It was then the door opened and I saw the Red Killer again.

"You were right Gobber, it is awake."

"Should we knock it out again?" the human with him asked.

"No. It is almost time for Astrid's final exam. We'll see how she fairs with both of them. After all she is the best we have. Let's give her a challenge." The Red Killer said leaving. The other human followed suit.

'The other one?' I thought.

So Hiccup was alive. But for how long? Would they be releasing both of us at the same time or separately. If the released both of us at once, I had a chance to get Hiccup and myself out of here. But if they released us separately, it was going to be a bit of a challenge. But at this point I really didn't care, as long as Hiccup and I got out together that's all that mattered to me right now.

I started concentrating my magic to build up my strength to break the chains and collar that held me. If I could break free, then I could get Hiccup out too. But then I remembered something, I couldn't see Hiccup anywhere. I called out her name. No answer, I tried again, still no answer. I was starting to panic. If she wasn't here, where was she?

"Would you stop yelling? They're going to comeback in here and knock you out again if you keep it up." I heard a gruff voice growl.

Then I saw flames and saw who had been talking. It was Fire One and rather grouchy one at that.

"I am sorry. I was calling out for someone." I apologized as best I could through the muzzle.

"I'll get that off you. Just promise me you won't yell anymore." He offered.

I nodded my head and the Fire One breathed a small flame and the muzzle broke through. I wiggled my maw for a second to get the feeling back.

"I am sorry for yelling. I am just really about someone." I explained.

"I heard, loud and clear. Why were you yelling 'Hiccup'? If you were yelling for one of our own you would call them by their kind." He asked quizzically.

"She has a name. It's Hiccup." I snapped unintentionally.

"I am sorry. I didn't know." The Fire One said sounding annoyed and hurt.

"Sorry, it's just that ever since I realized the mistake I made turning her into one of my kind, I have become rather worried and protective of her. I guess it's because, I didn't want to admit it but, I am in love with her. I just don't have the scales to tell her. I am afraid that if I tell her, she'll push me away for what I did to her." I explained settling down.

"What do you mean 'turned her into one of your kind'?" the Fire One asked lifting a brow ridge.

"She was once human. She shot me down and I expected her to kill me, but she hesitated and I broke free and put a spell on her that she would change into one of my kind if she let her emotions run too high for too long." I explained feeling the guilt eat me faster and more viciously.

"You have fallen in love with a human?" the Fire One exclaimed his flames almost going out. "Do you know what that means?' he said growling in agitation.

"I know but that doesn't change my feelings for her. All I hope is that she feels the same way and that I can keep her alive, unlike I was able to do with my first mate. Hiccup and I maybe the last Dark Ones in existence, but that is not why I love her.

"I love her because she never fought back or did anything to hurt me on purpose. She was so kind and submissive. She acted so kind to me and I took her entire life away from her when I cast that spell on her. I have promised myself that I would do everything in my power to find a way to reverse the spell to change her back." I explained pulling on the chains again. "I owe her that."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

I opened my eyes and my head was aching badly. It felt like someone had slammed me in the head. When I recollected my thoughts, I remembered, someone had. Duh.

I raised my paw to rub my head, but instead I couldn't move. When my eyes adjusted to the dark, I saw where I was. I was inside one of the cages in the arena and was chained to a cart.

"Do you think she's awake?" I heard a voice say in the dark.

"Sounds like it, but we still need to be careful. She's a Dark One." I heard another voice say.

I was starting to get a little uneasy. I couldn't turn my head to see them and I couldn't open my mouth to talk.

"She's trying to talk. We should get that thing off her." The first voice said. "I don't think she's going to hurt us."

"Alright, but if she makes one move, I'm going for it."

Immediately, I smelled the flammable gas around me and heard a spark. I braced myself and the explosion happened. I now knew who was in here with me, a Zippleback. After the smoke cleared, I recomposed myself and readjusted my eyes.

"Thank you." I said bowing my head in gratitude. "You really helped me."

"You're welcome. It just looked uncomfortable."

It was then I noticed something else. "Did you guys see the humans bring another Nigh… Dark One here while I was out cold?" I asked feeling uneasy.

"Yes, but he is in another cage. The humans thought the two of you together would prove to be too much of a challenge, so they are keeping you separate until they release you to fight."

"Fight? Fight who?" I asked feeling an awful pit in my stomach.

"They are going to have you and the other Dark One battle their champion to the death. They plan on releasing you at the same time to give their so called warrior a challenge since tey say she was proving to be better than they thought she would be."

A horrible feeling gripped at my chest. They were going to be pitting me and Toothless against Astrid. Who else would it be? No one was as good as her when it came to being the best. I couldn't believe it, Toothless and I would have to fight for our lives but there is no way in Thor's name I could ever bring myself to hurt her. Even though she and I were never really close our even friends, I still looked at her like a sister and didn't want her to get hurt. But if I didn't then Toothless and I would be killed.

All this running through my head, I almost didn't notice a voice at the back of my mind.

"_Please be okay Hiccup. I could never live with myself if I ever lost you like I lost my mate."_

I snapped out of my thoughts and tried to listen again. This time I tried to give a reply.

"_Hello? Who is this?"_

_"Hiccup, is that you?"_

_"Yes, it's me, who are you?"_

_"It's me, Toothless. Are you okay, the humans haven't hurt you have they?"_

_"No I'm fine. But I don't know for how much longer."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"The villagers are going to be releasing you and me at the same time to face someone I looked to as a sister. Her name is Astrid and she is the best new warrior in the village. And I don't think I could bring myself to hurt her."_

_"Don't worry about it. Now that I know when they'll be releasing us, I have a plan. Just listen to me and so everything I tell you and everything will be alright. Okay?"_

_"Alright."_

It seemed like it might work. I was still worried about the outcome, but as long as we got out okay, and no one got hurt, that's all that mattered to me.


	15. Chapter 15

**Don't worry AtkaikFF, I won't change her back. Just wait and see.**

Chapter 15

The Fire One helped me get free of my restraints and I instructed the Twin One to free Hiccup of hers. It was only a matter of time before they would release us and then Hiccup and I would finally be able to leave this Dracon forsaken island.

"Are you sure that your plan will free all of us?" the Fire One asked.

"Yes, if everything goes right, we will all be free." I answered preparing to be freed of the dark cage.

"Then, if it does work, I wish you and your lover a strong wind and safe travels Dark One." He said bowing his head.

"Toothless. My name is Toothless." I said feeling very proud to be introducing my name for the first time.

The Fire One pulled his head back in surprise. "What, you have a name? Who named you?" he asked in bewilderment.

"My lover, Hiccup, the other Dark One." I said feeling grateful for what she had done for me.

"It is rather courteous of her to give you a name, but of all things, why did she choose that?"

"She observed how our teeth retract and to her it was just a play on terms." I explained feeling that same warm feeling I had felt when I first dreamed about Hiccup and I flying together. "And to be brutally honest, I wouldn't have chosen another name if was from her. She has done so much for me but to me the most important is that she was willing to give up everything to learn from me and leave the only home she has ever known for our safety. She is so submissive, while it rather touching, I need to teach her how to stand up for herself from time to time. And when we are free of this Dracon forsaken island, and find somewhere safe, that is exactly what I going to do."

"I see. You love her that much?"

"More than I think I ever will again. After I lost my first mate I thought I would never love again. But only now do I see I was wrong. Hiccup is everything that she was and more. I love her more than I think even myself can understand."

Suddenly the doors opened and a handful of humans came in. Some were herding me out the others were corning the Fire One into a corner to keep him from escaping. I didn't put up much of a fight because if everything worked out then every dragon trapped here would be free and safe.

I looked around and saw a human in the middle of the arena and Hiccup was standing a short distance away. I gave her a nod and she nodded back. I made a lunge for the human female and Hiccup turned back around and started exercising the fruits of her training with me. She unleashed a fury of fire blasts and destroyed the cage doors. She was stronger than I thought and I am sure that she was surprised herself because I had to push her out of the way as an axe whizzed passed us.

Once the other dragons were free, the humans started pouring in to capture us again. But this time, we were ready. I blasted a hole in the bars and chains above us and we all flew out with Hiccup bringing up the rear. We did not stop we kept going. Once we were sure we had put some distance between us and the island, Hiccup and I broke off and flew in another direction.

We continued on for a couple of hours and I noticed that Hiccup started to falter. I turned back and told her we would be landing soon, to just hold on for a little longer. We reached a small island within a couple of minutes and landed on the beach. We walked to the tree line and she collapsed. I raced to her side and nudged her for assurance that she was okay.

"I'm alright. I'm just tired that's all. All I need is some rest." She replied breathing heavily.

"I am so sorry for pushing so hard. You are still new at flying and are not yet used to flying long distances." I apologized berating myself.

"It's okay. We got away, that's all that matters." She said closing her eyes.

I laid down beside her and draped my wing over her. I laid my head close to hers and closed my eyes as well giving in to the urge to fall asleep.

My last thoughts were, 'I promise Hiccup, I will find a way to change you back.'


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

My eyes opened and I tightened my wings. Emptiness. I jolted up and saw Hiccup was gone. I started to panic and started searching the small island for her. I found her stretching her wings by a nearby river. I could tell she was in a lot of pain. I sighed and ran down to stop her.

"What are you doing? What have I told you about overworking your wings?" I scolded nudging her wings back down.

"I just thought that if I could give my wings more exercise then they would be stronger and we would be able to fly for longer periods of time. They were only sore yesterday because I am not used to flying with them. If I can give them more exercise then they won't bother me so much." She replied sheepishly.

"As much as it makes me proud that you are willing to practice, if you keep pushing yourself you won't be able to fly anymore period." I said signaling her to follow me back to camp.

We walked back slowly with her wincing with every step. I stooped down and offered her to climb on my back.

"No, I'm too heavy. I'm fine really." She said seething trying to hide her pain.

"I'm stronger than I look and you can't even walk without biting your tongue to keep from screaming out in pain. I can see it in your eyes." I argued back. "Now get on my back."

She rather slowly climbed on and held on with what little strength she had left and we rushed back to camp.

Once we arrived, I set her down and settled down close to her. I started to notice that she had tears in her eyes.

"Is something wrong?" I asked sadly.

"It's just, I'm happy that we escaped and helped all those dragons escape, but it hurts me to know that other dragons are only going to keep getting hurt unless we show my people that dragons are not what we thought they were." She said wiping her tears away.

"Maybe we can. If we can show them what we are really like and why we do what we do, they might understand and learn not to kill us anymore. But as happy as it might sound it's also dangerous."

"Why?"

"Because that would mean that we would have to bring them to our island and what is on our island is far beyond anything you have ever seen."

"What's so dangerous?"

"It is a monster, the size of the mountain our island is made of. It could swallow you and me and not even notice. If we brought your people to our island, they would die."

"But what if we could show them that we are not what they think we are, by destroying that monster while protecting them and they learn how we really are? You once told me that we are the strongest dragons there have ever been. What if we could kill it and show them what we are really like?" she said her eyes shining full of hope.

"Even if we could entice that thing to fight, you have no experience and you have no strength to fly right now. You would die before we even got that thing to leave the mountain." I said sullenly. "It would work if you had the strength, then maybe it would work but until you do, we are not going anywhere until you get your strength back. That means no unnecessary exercising and no more sneaking off. If you want to grow stronger, I will help you. You are still getting use to your new body and still need to learn to use it in combat. So once you are able to move again, I will train you if you wish to learn to fight." I offered settling her down. "For now, just let your body rest."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I stretched under Toothless's wings and heard his heartbeat. For some reason, it was so calming, it made me feel safe. I listened until my eyes grew heavy and I fell asleep.

I woke with a start. I looked around and Toothless was gone. I tried to get up to look for him but I couldn't even move. With each attempt to move, my body stung and my muscles burned. Before long I finally managed to get to my feet, but taking any steps was proving to be even more of a challenge. Not that it mattered because as soon as I got to my feet, Toothless came gliding back down.

"I thought I told you to let your body rest. You really are proving to be a stubborn dragoness." He said with a smirk.

"When you weren't here when I woke up, I thought something had happened. I was just trying to get up and go find you, but I couldn't even move." I said laying back down.

"Your stomach started growling while you slept, I just left to find food. No need to worry." He said laying back down beside me.

He then dropped the fish he had been carrying in front of both of us. We ate until our bellies felt full and I settled back down next to him.

"Toothless, what am I to you?" I asked. Toothless brought his head up abruptly in surprise. "You say you are only staying with me until I can take care of myself, but when I'm with you, I feel like you are doing it for another reason, like you have other feelings for me."

"You would be right. I love you Hiccup. You have changed me, you gave me back feelings I never thought I would ever have again. You the only one who has ever been able to give these feelings back to me. After I lost my mate, I thought I would never love again, but after meeting you and getting to know the real you, you reminded me so much of her and then seeing your heart so kind and willing to learn, I never thought I could I love someone like you until you showed me otherwise. I would die before I let anything hurt you like humans hurt her. I am sorry that I took you away from your home. Had I known what I was taking from a village who needed you so badly, I would have reacted differently. I am so sorry." He said with his eyes shining.

"Don't be. You have given me more than anyone ever has since my mother died. And, you are not alone in your feelings Toothless. I love you but I was afraid to tell you because I thought that someone like me wouldn't have been your type. I am sorry I shot you down." I said rubbing my head against his.

"I am glad. I promise, I will do everything in my power to change you back, to bring you back to the people who need you most."

"No. Yes, they need me, but you need me more. If I change back, you will be alone again. I want to be with you. I love you Toothless, I want to stay with you, no matter what." I cried wrapping my throbbing wings around him, resting my head against his chest. "Please, don't change me back. If you do, we can't be together anymore. I already lost my mother and had to grow up with her. If I lost you, it would destroy me. Please, don't change me back. I don't want to be alone again." I said tears running down my cheek.

"I see. You are more like me than I realized. You too fear being alone. I'll never leave you alone. Just be happy in state a little longer. I promise, you will never lose me." He said gently freeing himself and guiding me down to rest again. "Just rest for now and dream of better times. When you open your eyes, I will be right here next to you. I'll never leave you alone." He said as I closed my eyes and fell away into sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I watched as Hiccup slowly drifted away to sleep. As I did, I thought about what she had told me. She shared in my feelings for her and like me, she feared being alone. I rested my head close to hers and tried to picture what it must have been like for her to grow up without her mother and always trying to fit in with her other people. But all the while, no one trying to understand her. As I thought about this, I realized it was no different than what I had dealt with ever since I was a hatchling.

My mother was gone and I hardly had any friends, aside from my first mate. I wanted so badly to be a part of my clan, but I was stronger and more dangerous than the others.

'Perhaps we were meant to meet Hiccup. You and I are so much alike. Now I know why I felt so compelled to get to know you. You and I were destined to find each other.' I thought as I let my thought help me drift off to sleep.

_I was flying around our island when I caught a familiar scent. The scent of blood, Hiccup's blood. I turned around and saw that He had her in his teeth dragging her down into the red mists. I dove down as fast as my wings would carry me. I reached for her and managed to grab her forelegs. I pulled her free and we flew out of the mountain. We flew until we landed on a small island. I checked her over and noticed the full extent of her injuries. her tail was badly torn and her tail wings were barely hanging on. I tried to use my magic to heal her, but all it seemed to do was poison her. The last thing she said to me was, "I will love you forever even after my death." Then I saw the light leave her eyes._

I woke with a start. I looked under my wings and saw Hiccup was still there and she was still breathing. I heaved a sigh of relief. I started to reconsider my plan. What if in the end, it was too dangerous for her anyway? What if no matter what I did I was still going to lose her?

"I'm sorry Hiccup. But I just can't lose you too. I will stop the fighting between our people. Just stay here and I'll come back for you. I promise, I will keep your people safe and you will see me again." I said as I got to my feet and walked a short distance away.

I looked back once more and took to the skies toward Hiccup's homeland. As I flew, I thought about the decision I was making and that it was the only way to end the war and keep the only thing I treasure safe. I knew she would eventually come looking for me, but as long as she was safe from that monster, that's all that mattered to me.

**I know this chapter is a little short but I am having to adjust to this new computer so just bare with me until I get the hang of it. agdoll95 :-***


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

I was startled awake by the sound of wolves deeper in on the island. They must have been hunting. I tried to stand up again but my legs were still too sore to even let me do that. But I noticed something wasn't right. I looked around and saw that Toothless was nowhere to be found. I forced myself to stand up and made the greatest effort to walk around the island to search for him.

After finally making it half way around the island, which felt like it took for eternity, I took the time to let my legs rest before continuing on.

'Toothless where are you?' I thought as I caught my breath.

After an hour I got back up and started around the island again. I tried opening the connection Toothless and I shared between our minds, but he wasn't answering me. I kept trying but no matter many times I called out his name he wouldn't answer me.

I kept getting the feeling that something had happened to him. I wanted so badly to open my wings and fly off to search for him. But no matter what I did my wings wouldn't open. I just kept going in and around the island, I knew I wasn't going to find him, but it was all I could do because I didn't know what to do next.

I couldn't fly to go searching for and I was still too sore to keep going on for much longer. But I pushed the pain to the back of my mind and kept walking.

When I came to the river, I started to try and stretch my wings again. I kept moving the muscles in my back until I felt my wings start to move again albeit slowly and painfully for being closed up for two days but hey were moving and that was all I needed to know. I kept going until I could get them to move freely. It took forever but I finally had complete control over my wings again. But the rest of my body was still sore. But again I pushed the pain to the back of my mind. I walked back to the beach and made an attempt to fly. I took a wobbly start when I finally took off, but I was back up into the air and at the time that's all that mattered.

But I still had one problem, I didn't know which way Toothless went. If I just kept flying to random islands to search for him, who knows what would happen to him in the time it would take for me to finally find him.

I landed back on the beach and started to narrow down the options. I it was then that I remembered what we had talked about the day before. Our plan to make my people understand why dragons were raiding Berk. A terrible thought gripped me in the pit of my stomach.

"He wouldn't, would he?" I asked aloud.

I got up again and took to the skies flying towards the dragons' nest. All I knew I had to do was fly toward Helheim's Gate. After that, it was a matter of if I would know where to go afterwards.

After what felt like forever, I reached the fogs that concealed Helheim's Gate. I  
hesitated for a minute. I got that bad feeling again but I pushed to the back of my mind and went in. It was then I felt this strange buzzing in the back of my head, something was calling for me. I thought it was Toothless, but this one felt darker, more evil than anything I had felt before. Not seeing a lot of options of how I was going to find the nest, I followed it until I came to an island with a volcano in the center of it. I could see the top of the mount glowing red as if it could still erupt at any moment.

I flew toward the mountain and through an opening. As I flew in, I noticed there was an eerie red glow at the end of the tunnel. As I came to another chamber, I saw what was making the red glow, a hot pit not filled with lava, but with red hot mist. I flew over it and I heard something that made my heart skip a beat.

"_And who would you be newcomer." _I heard a strong voice from below in the mist.

"I am Hicc… A Dark One who got separated from my herd. I saw this island and thought maybe I could rest for the night." I lied feeling my heart start to beat faster and faster.

I thought if it beat any faster it was going to burst out of my chest.

"_Interesting. Tell me young Dark One, are you a descent hunter?_" The voice asked.

I landed on a ledge overlooking the pit. "I can, but I am still learning." That was true.

"_Very well then, you can learn from the others._" The voice answered from below.

"What?"

"_They are in the next tunnel over._"

"Thank you but I think I should really get going. I didn't mean to intrude." I said trying to fly off, but then something gripped me at the back of my mind.

"_No, this is going to be your home for a very, very long time._" It said as it forced me to land back on the ledge.

It was then I saw what Toothless had been talking about. A head the size of ten ships rose from the red mist and looked me in the eye.

"_You, just like every dragon that has passed through here, will now serve me as my hunters forever._" He said as I felt his eyes boring a hole through my thoughts.

It wasn't long before I felt completely hypnotized. I couldn't move my body, my thoughts ran freely but my body remained completely frozen. Now I understood why Toothless didn't want me to come here. But now it was too little too late. This monster had me in its grip and there was no way for me to get out.

"Now go to the tunnel and wait with the others for your next hunt." He ordered.

"Yes master." I answered against my will. '_What am I going to do? Toothless, I am so sorry. I should have stayed on the island like you said. Please, help me._' I pleaded in my thoughts feeling how pointless it was. If Toothless didn't answer me when I was safe, what was the chance he would hear me now.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

As I got closer to the island, I got this horrible feeling in the back of my mind, like Hiccup was in trouble. I tried to ignore it, but the more I did, the stronger it got. It was then I heard something that made my heart skip a beat.

_'What am I going to do? Toothless, I am so sorry. I should have stayed on the island like you said. Please, help me.' _It was Hiccup's voice.

She was in trouble. But I had to get her people to the nest. I kept going.

"I promise Hiccup, I'm coming, just hold on." I said to myself out loud.

When I finally made it to the island, I was ambushed and dragged back to the arena. There I was chained and racked again. This time, I didn't put up a fight, but once they had me chained, I started doing the best I could to get them to understand that I could take them to the nest.

At first, no one got the message. But then a husky human with yellow hair stepped forward and studied my behavior.

"I think it's trying to get to the nest." He said timidly.

"What are you saying Fishlegs?" the Red Killer asked.

"I'm saying, I think that we haven't been able to find it because maybe only a dragon can find nest." He finished.

'Finally someone gets it.' I sighed in the back of my mind.

After hearing what the husky one had to say, the Red Killer ordered me to be put onto one of their vessels and they readied themselves for battle. Not that it was going to do them much good, but as long as they headed for the nest that was all that mattered.

"Set sail. We head for Helheim's Gate." The Red Killer said. He looked at me. "Lead us home, devil." He spat venomously.

It was very insulting, but once they understood, it wouldn't even matter.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I tried so hard to break the monster's control over me, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get his dark demonic voice out of the back of my mind.

_"You really are proving to be a strong willed one. But even the strongest wills can be broken." _ I heard him say to me again.

"Please just let me go." I pleaded.

_"No sorry. You see, when you are like me, you can't get the things you need in life because so much get sin your way. But when you have the power to get others to do what you want, you take advantage of that." _He explained to me rather smugly. _"Why do think that Dark One made it so you would be one his kind? He doesn't love you, he's trying to control you. He knows how submissive you are and he has taken advantage of that. Why do you think it was so easy for me gain control of you, because of your pathetic submissive nature. He has been controlling you this whole time just as I have taken control over you."_

I felt a strong blow to my chest yet nothing had touched me. How could he have possibly known about me and Toothless? I hadn't told him anything. Then a horrible thought crept into my mind. He was reading my thoughts, my memories. Then another thing came to mind, what if what he was telling me was true and that Toothless didn't really love me, he only wanted to control me? But I pushed that thought away. There was no way that this beast was telling me the truth. Toothless had gone through everything I had when he was a new born just as I had when I was younger. He did so much for me and even helped me escape the arena and taught me how to fly.

But then something else came to mind. Toothless had promised me that he would be there when I woke up the night before yet when I woke up this morning he was gone. And when I tried to reach out to him he wouldn't answer. Maybe what he was telling me was the truth. But until I found out for sure myself, I wasn't going to make any decisions about him or us. I loved Toothless, whether his feelings for me were true or not. Toothless had done more for me than anyone had in my entire life.

Then I heard a loud thud. I snapped out of my thoughts and listened again. It happened again, and again, and again, until finally the wall at the front came down. Yet not one dragon in the entire chamber moved. It was like we were all frozen. I looked down and saw my Dad at the entrance.

How had they found this place? Then another chilling thought came to mind. Toothless hadn't come back to the nest, he had gone back to Berk to get the villagers to follow him. But knowing them, it couldn't have gone well. I felt a pang in my heart and worried if Toothless was still alive.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt a strong heat pass by me. I looked again and saw that it was a ball of fire. I heard my Dad yell and all the dragons including me were forced out of the chamber. Not by our will but by his. He wanted to slaughter everyone on the island and thought we would only get in the way. After I was out, I felt his control over me break. I finally had control over myself again. I landed on a nearby sea stack and started looking around holding on to the slim hope that Toothless was with them.

Suddenly, I heard a voice form one of the ships. I looked and saw him fighting to get free of the rack he was in. I flew down and just threw myself at him.

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay on the island." He scolded after I got the muzzle off him.

"You also told me that you would be there when I woke up. Why did you leave?" I asked feeling painful tears coming to my eyes.

"I didn't want you get hurt. I was worried that no matter what I taught you, you still get hurt when it came time for us to face Him. I thought I could handle it on my own."

"Toothless…" I started to say, but suddenly the entire mountain face started to crumble and everyone started to run for the beach.

I turned about and finally saw the entire body of the beast. I got back to work getting the restraints off of Toothless but just as I was about to get the collar off, a giant tail crushed the boat and Toothless went under. I dove down after him and finally got the collar off.

We swam back to the surface and looked down at the beach. Everyone was trying to get the far side if the island to safety. All the ships had been destroyed and they had no way to get off the island. I looked around frantically for my Dad. I saw him about to run back and face the monster. Gobber was with him. I couldn't take it anymore. I took to the skies and flew high above that beast and blew a fire ball at the back of his head. He was disorientated long enough for me to grab my Dad and Gobber and carry them to the ledge where Toothless was waiting for me.

"Are you crazy? That thing could have killed you." He scolded me again.

"But he didn't it's time we face that thing and show him that we will not be controlled like puppets anymore." I said defiantly.

"You have learned well." He said getting ready for takeoff. "Ready to fight?"

"You got it love." I said standing next to him.

But before I could do anything, I felt someone touch my neck. I looked back and saw that it was my Dad. He didn't look angry or hostile this time, but curious and full of hope.

"Hiccup?" he questioned me.

I nodded and nudged him in a hug. I lifted my head and saw that he had tears in his eyes. He hugged me back.

"I'm sorry, for everything." He apologized.

"Yeah me too." I answered even though I knew he couldn't understand me.

"You don't have to go up there. I thought I lost you once, I don't want to lose you again." He said with fear in his voice.

I gave him a look that said what he had always told others, 'We're Vikings it's an occupational hazard.'

"I'm proud to call you my daughter." He said giving me one last hug.

I looked back at Toothless and we took off. We climbed higher and higher. Then I heard a scream that made my blood chill. I circled back around and saw that Astrid was about to be killed. I was about to dive down to get her, but the Nadder from the ring beat us to it by swooping in and grabbing her just as the beast's foreleg was about to crush her.

Astrid looked more surprised than anything but she thanked the Nadder and climbed onto her back. The Nadder carried her to safety.

Toothless and I circled back around. It was then I got a good look at that beast's back.

"That thing has wings." I called to Toothless. "Let's see if it can use them."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

I had no idea what Hiccup was thinking, but I could tell she had an idea. So I turned with her and we dived back down toward the island and fired our shots at the base of His wings. We then pulled back up and circled back around.

"You think that did it?" she called to me.

"It's a pretty safe bet." I called back looking behind us.

"Well he can fly, but we can do better." She called as we circled the island.

I saw her look up. "Alright, Toothless time to disappear." She said pulling up.

I followed suit as we rose higher and higher into the sky. I still wasn't sure what she was planning, but I didn't have any better ideas so I just followed her. As we rose into the dark clouds I could hear the monster screaming for us to show ourselves. I figured out why Hiccup had pull up here. Here in the cover of darkness we had the advantage.

"_Aim for his wings." _I heard her say through our link.

"_What are you planning?" _I asked worriedly.

"_Don't worry everything is going to be alright. Trust me." _She replied.

Seeing that she wasn't going to be any more specific, I did as she asked. We circled around him several times, each time blasting his wings in different sections of each wings. At last he went for broke and lit up the clouds with his fire.

"Okay time's up, let's see if this works." She yelled as we saw that we had lost the cover of the clouds.

We broke into another dive. This time swooping past him.

"Come on! Is that the best you can do!" Hiccup yelled.

"Coward!" I cried out.

He clamped his jaws narrowly missing us. We pulled into another dive this time with him close behind. Now I was really getting worried. There was no telling what she was planning, but I knew Hiccup had something in mind so I tried to hold back my fear.

"Stay with me my love, just little bit longer." She called out to me. "Hold Toothless."

I heard the hiss of gas filtering into His throat. Now I knew what Hiccup had been planning all along. "Now!" she called.

We flipped and fired. The gas in His mouth and throat burned. I saw his eyes grow wide with fear and he suddenly opened his wings to try and slow down. But the damage we had done to his wings was too great. They started to burn and tear apart. Hiccup and I righted ourselves and pulled out of the dive. As he made impact on the ground, the explosion was enormous. The fire climbed up His body, where Hiccup and I were trying to maneuver out. We weaved in and out of His back spikes. I looked back to make sure that had some distance between us and the flames.

"Toothless look out!" Hiccup cried pushing me out of the way.

As I tumbled midair, I heard a sickening crack. I righted myself and saw Hiccup falling down toward the flames.

"No!" I cried plunging down to catch her.

I flapped my wings harder and harder to dive faster. I was able to grab her and hold her close to me. The flames closed around us. We could handle the heat, but here was no guarantee that she would have survived the fall. I grabbed her pulled out of the flames. I flew out of the flames back toward the beach where the humans were waiting for us.

"Hiccup!" I heard her father cry.

I stood defensively beside her, but I felt a pang in my chest. I found myself realizing that I could no longer hate this human. Grudgingly I stepped aside and let him see his daughter.

"Hiccup." He sighed.

He looked her over. She was still breathing. He took off his helmet and placed his head to her chest.

"She's alive, you brought her back alive." I heard him say as his voice started to crack.

"Sir, what are you talking about?" I heard from behind me. I turned and saw the female from a few days ago.

"Astrid, this Night Fury if Hiccup, she has saved us. Her and this Night Fury who has saved her." Hiccup's father explained with tears in her eyes.

"How can you be so sure?"

"A father knows when he is willing to listen. We need to salvage what we can and get back to Berk." He ordered as he stood up.

"Yes sir." The other humans replied.

"Astrid, you and the Night Fury watch over Hiccup."

"Yes sir." The female replied.

I settled down next to Hiccup and draped a wing over her unconscious form. As I was calming down ,after what may be the most terrifying battle of my life, the female Hiccup called, 'Astrid' stood watch over us both. I expected her to glare at me and her to no end. But as I watched her, I noticed a growing curiosity in her eyes.

"This really is her is it?" She asked turning to me.

I nodded. "So, she and you, in the arena, you never planned to fight me. You just wanted to get out."

I nodded again. As we are talking, a Spiked One came and landed in front of Astrid. It was the same one who had saved her in battle.

"I know you, you're the Nadder who saved me." The Spiked One nodded. "Thank you. I guess this is what Hiccup was trying to prove with refusing to fight me and freeing all those dragons in the arena, that everything we know about you guys is wrong."

It felt good that she was growing to understand. As I was listening to Astrid talk to the Spiked One, I felt Hiccup's body growing smaller. I looked under my wing and saw that she was changing back. Yet her scent wasn't changing. It confused me to no end.

"Stoick, you need to see this. It's Hiccup." I heard Astrid cry.

Hiccup's father came running. When he laid eyes on his daughter, he looked like he was about to break down. He held her and hugged her tight. He then laid her back down next to me and placed his pelt over her bare form. I placed my wing back over her and hid her from any prying eyes. I feared my spell had been broken.

As the humans worked to find a way to get back to their island, I was growing tired. It wasn't that I feared falling asleep with the humans on the island. It was that I had so many questions about why Hiccup changed back. But they could keep me awake long. My eyes grew heavy and I fell asleep.

_"Your spell isn't broken." I heard. I turned and saw my first mate again. _

_"It has merely been softened. She can now change back and forth at will. But there is a catch. If her emotions, such as anger or sadness, run too high she will change back until she calms down. If she does change under such circumstances, if she is not with you, she will lose control and act completely on instinct and will have no distinction between friend or foe. You must be with her if she is to retain her sanity under such changes. Do you understand?" she explained._

_"I do. Thank you." I answered._


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

I was slowly coming back. I felt a hot breath brush across my face. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Toothless staring at me.

"Hey Toothless." I said sitting up.

As I sat up, I noticed something, I had hands again. I threw back the blankets and looked into my reflection in the bowl of water by my bed. I was human again.

"Toothless, what happened?" I asked feeling tears start to come to my eyes.

He nosed my arm and nudged me out of my bed. I got up and followed him to the front door. Then I noticed something else. Toothless was in my house.

"Toothless, what are you doing here? Does my Dad know you're here?" I asked feeling very nervous.

I just followed him to the door and he pushed it open. The sight outside made my heart flutter. Humans and dragons were working together to repair the long damaged village. Smaller dragons were playing with the children. The larger dragons were either flying with other people on their backs or helping others repair houses or building stables for the other dragons.

"I knew it, I'm dead." I said matter- of -factly.

"No but you gave it your best shot." I heard my Dad chuckle behind me placing his hand on my shoulder. "So what do you think?" he said gesturing to the village.

As we made our way down, everyone was rushing to meet us.

"Turns out all we needed was a little more of this." He said gesturing to me.

"You just gestured to all of me." I said in disbelief.

At this point my head was spinning. I was human again and everyone was living as if the war never happened. Dragons and humans were together.

"Yes. All it took was for you to turn into a dragon to show us the whole story." Gobber said stepping forward.

I felt someone punch me in the arm. "That's for leaving." I heard Astrid say from behind me.

"Why would you just…" I began but she cut me off by pulling me into a hug.

"That's for saving us and coming back." She said pulling out of the hug.

The other teens came and pulled me and started asking a million questions all at once. I was trying to answer them, but I couldn't keep up. A cry I was hoping for finally came.

"Night Fury!"

Toothless came racing through the crowd and stopped in front of me. I hugged him tight and everyone mounted their dragons ready for their first flight around Berk. Gobber handed a saddle.

"Welcome home." He said with a big grin on his face.

I grinned back and strapped the saddle around Toothless. Once I was in place, I looked down at Toothless.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

He nodded. As I looked around me and thought about something else. I just kept thinking that I wouldn't have wished for this to be any other way.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

(Months later)

Hiccup and I were flying up above the clouds on our usual morning flight. It had been months since we defeated the Red Death (what the humans began calling Him) and Hiccup learned that she and I could still be together and she could be there for her people. In that time, I had taught her how to change back and forth and how to control her changes.

She had learned quickly though she did still have moments where she had lost control but I was always there to make sure she calmed down.

The time for the eggs to be hatched and for the adults to gather for them was almost here and I hadn't even told Hiccup about it yet. I didn't see the point since she and I probably weren't going to have any children anytime soon. But my mind wasn't on that, right now it was on the female flying right by me over the sea stacks around the island. It felt good to feel the cool crisp air flowing all around my body and to be sharing it with the one I love.

"What do say Love? Wanna go again?" Hiccup asked as we began to circle back when we heard a cry coming from the opposite direction.

We bobbed in and out of the dragons coming in our direction and flew back to the village. Once we landed, Hiccup changed back and ran to meet Astrid and her friends.

"Hiccup what's going on? Where are they going?" Astrid asked in a voice filled with panic.

Suddenly Hiccup was surrounded by the other villagers, all of them bombarding her with questions. Her father broke them up and asked a question that was on everyone's mind.

"Hiccup where are all of our dragons going?"

"Dad, I don't know." Hiccup said with fear in her voice.

She turned back to me and changed back into a dragon. "Where are the other dragons going?" she asked me.

"They are going to the hatching grounds. They will be back, it will just be awhile, a few days maybe." I answered.

She heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good. Thank you love." She said nudging my head and turning back to the village.

She explained what I had just told her. The village did look like they felt better, but it still seemed to weigh in them that their dragon companions wouldn't be there for their winter holiday. Hiccup's father called a meeting to the Great Hall and the entire village gathered within minutes. As for me I stayed outside. I stood on the cliff outside Hiccup house and watched out over the waves, wondering if the other dragons made it to the hatching grounds safely.

As I wondered this, I wondered what it would have been like if my first mate and I had been able to have children of our own.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The other teens and I were just hanging at the back of the Great Hall. My Dad was trying to give the villagers some piece of mind about the dragons leaving. Me, I had other things on my mind, like how Toothless looked so sad when he told me about where the dragons were going. Did he want to have children but he never asked it of me because he thinks I would turn him down? Or did he and his first mate have children but lost them in battle?

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Snotlout suggesting that we leave. Since it seemed that we weren't needed there, it seemed like there was nothing that said we had to stay.

We walked through the village all trying to think positive because we all knew that the dragons were going to be back, but still we had all planned on having the dragons here with us.

"That was depressing." Ruffnut sighed.

"I know, I was actually looking forward to spending the holiday with Stormfly." Astrid replied.

Anyone could tell just by listening to her that she was losing the enthusiasm she always had. That only told the rest of us how out of place things had gotten with the dragons gone.

"It's not like they're gone forever. They just left to lay their eggs, they'll be back." I said trying to lift everyone's spirits.

"Easy for you to say. Your dragon won't go anyway without you." Tuffnut snapped back pointing to the cliff where Toothless usually sat looking over the ocean.

"Must be nice to have a dragon as a lover who wouldn't do anything to hurt you." Ruffnut said only making me feel worse.

"She's right you know. Toothless doesn't go anywhere unless you're with him." Snotlout said as he walked off.

"Guys come on, that's a bit harsh to blame her for Toothless not wanting to leave her?" Astrid said reprimanding them.

"Yeah, Toothless loves her. If he doesn't want to leave her that's his choice, and it's not right for you to blame her for that." Fishlegs said as they walked off.

I just stood there thinking about how Tuffnut was right. If I wasn't with him, Toothless wouldn't go anywhere. I loved him, but I felt like I was holding him back. I walked back home and tried to get some sleep, but I couldn't even get my eyes to close. Toothless came in through the window above my bed and settled down on his own bed across from mine. As I looked at him, I thought about how he must be feeling. All his friends having children but he doesn't have any.

Finally I couldn't take it anymore. Even if I couldn't give him a child, I could still go with him to watch the newborn dragons coming into the world. I got up ,changed into my dragon form and gently shook Toothless awake.

"Toothless, Toothless wake up." I urged softly.

"What is Hiccup, are you okay?" he asked as he blinked awake.

"Not really. I was just thinking about how much it must hurt to know that all your friends are having children and you probably won't. So I wanted to ask you…"

"Hiccup, you may be a dragon, but you are way too young to have children." He said cutting me off.

"That's not what I was going to say. I was going to ask you if you wanted to go to the hatching grounds to be there to watch. I know I can't have children now, but I thought until I'm old enough, maybe you and I could be there to watch. Just so you don't feel so left out." I said correcting him.

"Oh, sorry. I just thought that…"

"I know, but don't worry, we will be able to have a family someday. So what do you say, you want to go visit?" I asked.

"I loved too." He answered getting up.

I changed back to my human form and wrote a note for my Dad explaining where I was going and when we would be back and wished him a happy Snoggletog. Once we were outside I changed back and we flew off.

'In time Toothless, we will have a family, I promise.' I thought as we got farther and farther from the island.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

(Three days later)

Three days passed and no one had seen a sign of the dragons returning and with Hiccup gone with Toothless, no one knew what to expect.

Stoick seemed to be doing okay, but anyone could tell that he was just as upset about all this as the rest of us were. The twins, Fishlegs, Snotlout and I tried to make the best of things, but no matter how hard we tried, none of us could get any one's mind off the dragons. Eventually we all gave up and just went from day to day just doing this and that to help around the village to get ready for the winter holidays.

I was carrying oars down to the dock when I ran into Fishlegs, carrying a basket full of fish.

"Whoa Fishlegs you hungry? There's enough fish there to feed a dragon." I said trying to lighten our day with an attempt of humor like Hiccup would.

I knew Hiccup and I were never really friends but I always admired her determination to prove herself and the strength she had to keep going even when it seemed impossible. And I admitted that I was impressed with all the idea she would come up with. I sort of looked to her as a younger sister. We weren't really close until the war was over, but afterwards we both had the chance to know each other better than we each thought we did. And I if I did have a sister, I would want it to be her.

"Oh, oh, oh a dragon, That's…" Fishlegs stammered and scooted away.

If didn't sound suspicious to me I don't know what would. He was acting weird and I was going to find out what it was. I followed him to one of the sheds in the middle of the village and watched him go in and leave looking like he had something to hide. After he was out of sight, I snuck over and opened the door. The next thing I knew, there was a Gronckle barreling toward me. I jumped out if the way and watched as it kept going.

I recognized that Gronckle. "Meatlug?" I said out loud.

Fishlegs came running back. "Meatlug, what about presents? Hey?" He called hoping to convince him to come back.

Snotlout and the twins came running. We all went in and saw what had been going on in there for the past three days. We saw chains and hay and a supply of food.

"Astrid, I can't believe you." Fishlegs cried at me.

"You can't believe me! You kidnapped your dragon!" I shouted back.

"Well that makes it sound so mean." He whimpered.

"He flew away the second he was unleashed." I argued.

"I'm seventy-two percent sure he wanted to stay." He weakly argued back.

"Guys!" We heard Tuffnut call from the back.

We all got closer to see what was so interesting.

"Whoa, Meatlug barfed up a pile of rocks." Fishlegs exclaimed in surprise.

"You're such an idiot. Those aren't rocks. Your dragon laid eggs." Ruffnut huffed.

"Just like Hiccup said. But that still doesn't explain why she left too." Fishlegs said.

"Maybe she left with Toothless to have babies too." Snotlout said in a lousy attempt of a joke.

I punched him in the arm. "That is the worst idea ever Snotlout and I wouldn't say that around Stoick if I were you. You know she's too young to have kids, even if she is half dragon." I snapped kneeling back down to get a closer look at the eggs.

"Hey I'm just saying." Snotlout shrugged rubbing his arm.

"Hey, there's one thing I don't get, if those are Meatlug's eggs, how is that possible? Boy dragons don't lay eggs." Fishlegs asked quizzically.

"Yeah, your boy dragon is a girl dragon." Ruffnut said matter of factly.

"Okay, that actually explains a few things." Fishlegs said awkwardly.

"Hey everyone is missing their dragons, right?" I said having an idea come to mind.

"Oh here it comes." I heard Snotlout sigh.

"I've got an idea. It'll be another new Snoggletog tradition." I said holding up one of the eggs I decorated with a bow.

Everyone got the idea and we all set to work decorating the eggs and set out to put them in everyone's homes. Everyone was going to be so happy to have dragons around here again for the holidays.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

For the past three days, Hiccup and I watched newborn dragons take in their first breaths of life. It was so amazing. Hiccup couldn't help but coo at all the newborns.

"They are just so adorable." She would often say. "It is really a good thing those don't hatch on Berk." She said when she saw why we always came here to lay our eggs.

When the eggs hatch, they explode instead of the slow progress of other animals such as birds or lizards.

It was on our third day that we had a late arrival. "Meatlug. Where have you been? We thought you had gotten lost." She said as we greeted her.

"No, my rider locked me in the village. I would be angry, but he was scared of me leaving. How could I hold that against him?"

"Well, you're here now and everyone is safe on Berk." I said as we walked down the beach.

"Actually, there might be a problem." She said nervously.

"What are you talking about?" Hiccup asked nervous about what she had just heard.

"My eggs are still on Berk and they are due to hatch any minute now." Meatlug blurted out.

"Odin's beard, and you're telling us this now?" Hiccup exclaimed. "I have to get back and warn everyone what happens before they hatch." She said as she started to take off but I stopped her.

"Even if you could get there in time and warn them, what good would it do? How would you be able to get all the eggs out of the village and back here before they hatch?" I asked her.

"It's better than just standing by and doing nothing." I argued back.

I sighed. I loved her but once that dragoness got an idea there was no stopping her.

"You're right, but how would be able to stop the village from being destroyed?" I asked.

She landed and looked like she was deep in thought. At last she turned and finally had a look of defeat in her eyes.

"Fine I'll stay put, but when we get back, we have to explain everything to my father and the village. Deal?" she bargained.

"Deal." I answered.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

We ran as fast as we could to get the last of Meatlug's eggs hidden. I felt we had done the best thing for everyone this holiday.

"Wasn't this a great idea?" I asked feeling the excitement I had been missing for the past few days.

"Uh huh. Everyone's going to be so surprised." Fishlegs whispered.

Out of nowhere the house behind us exploded. Something came flying out and hit Fishlegs knocking him over.

"Surprise." Snotlout said smugly.

Whatever hit Fishlegs came flying back down and landed on top of him. It was a baby Gronckle. It was so cute, but I had other things on my mind, like what we had just seen.

"The eggs explode?" I asked wearily.

Explosions began to happen all over the village. "The eggs explode!" I cried.

Everyone was running out of their houses. Some on fire looking for water other preparing for battle like they were under attack. And some were searching for Hiccup even though it was hopeless because everyone knew she had left days ago. I ran around the village apologizing to any one I passed. Now I knew how Hiccup felt when she messed up.

Baby Gronckles were flying out of peoples' homes and crashing into whatever was in their path. Finally Stoick showed up at the plaza.

"What in Thor's name is going on?" he thundered.

"The eggs explode." I replied weakly as the house behind exploded.

Stoick managed to calm the masses and everyone groaned as we now had even more work to do now that the village had been destroyed again, just when we thought we were done having to rebuild our home after dragon attacks, we were right back where we started. At least this time it wasn't an attack, it was just baby dragons hatching and my stupid idea.

Now I knew what Hiccup went through all her life and how she felt. And I didn't like it. Now whenever someone gives her a hard time about it, I would know and step in to help defend her. Because if this what it feels like to be the screw up, I don't like and I imagined Hiccup didn't either.

**Sorry about the short chapter. I didn't know how to prolong it any longer than that and I have a been busy lately. But I will update any chance I get. Promise, cross my heart hope to die, stick 20 needles in my eyes. **


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Hiccup spent hours pacing along the beach after Meatlug told us about how her eggs were still on Berk and were due to hatch any minute now. I tried to calm her down but it was like she was in another world and I knew why, she was worried about her village and how her people were handling the eggs. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Hiccup, I love you but I swear, all this pacing you're starting to worry me." I said catching her shoulder and stopping her mid-pace.

"I'm sorry, it's just don't do so well not knowing if the people I love are doing okay. If Meatlug's eggs are hatching, I don't even want to think about what is happening to the village now." She said looking out over the ocean.

"I know. That's why I think it's time we go." I said turning her to face me.

"Are you sure? All these babies hatching, I thought you'd want to stay longer." She asked.

"I know, and while it is filling, it is not the same as watching my own hatch and enter the world. Besides, we can always watch next time. Right now the village needs us there and as its protectors, it's our duty to be there." I said reassuring her.

And it was true. I was happy to watch all these newborns coming into this life from the shell but it wasn't the same as watching my own breath in their first breath of life. And it wasn't as enjoyable when my mate was upset knowing her home was in trouble.

We said good bye to the other dragons and readied for take-off. But as soon we were in the air the rest of the dragons took flight as well.

"I'm guessing we signaled the return migration?" Hiccup asked awkwardly.

"I guess so." I answered.

But we had another problem. The hatchlings were too young to fly yet, their wings were to small and their muscles weren't strong enough yet to keep them airborne. As they tried to fly, they were blown back to the cliffs with the others hatchlings calling for their parents.

Then I saw a familiar look in Hiccup's eyes. She had an idea and we were just about to find out what it was.

"I think I know what we have just the thing to bring them with us." She said banking toward the sea stacks back at Dragon Island.

She stopped at one particular sea stack and landed on an old ship that had gotten stuck. "This is going to help us carry all the little ones with us. Help me get it back to the rookery." She said as she stared to push it loose.

I flew in close and pushed as hard as I could. It was stubborn but we eventually got it to budge and into the water and pushed it back to the rookery. Once on shore, she changed into her human form and searched the wreckage for anything she thought would make it easier for us to carry the boat. She found a lot of rope and tied it around the bow and what remained of the back. Even though she was now in her human form everyone understood what she had in mind. If we held the ropes, we could carry the wreck with the hatchlings in it like a carrying nest.

She changed back and instructed the parents to bring their young to the boat and get them to stay on. Hiccup and I took up the front ropes and we led everyone back to Berk. It was slow going with the weight of the boat and all the hatchlings inside. By the time Berk was insight it was getting dark. But we made it back. From what we could see Meatlug's eggs had already hatched but at least we were home. We landed the wrecked boat and settled it in the middle of town.

Everyone was waiting anxious to see the newborn and were in total awe when they saw then crawl off the ship to find their parents while their parents rejoined their riders. Hiccup changed back and reunited with her father.

"Well done lass." Stoick said hugging his daughter tightly.

"Thanks Dad." Hiccup grunted trying to breath in the bear hug.

"Everyone, grab your dragons, to the Great Hall. We finally have something to celebrate." He announced as everyone raced to the Great Hall with their dragons close to them and their hatchlings in tow.

Everyone was so happy and celebrating the return of all the dragons and their new children. As I looked around, I still felt a small emptiness in my chest.

"Toothless, I know this must be really hard for you seeing all the other dragons with their new children. But I promise we will have our own when I am of age. I will do anything to keep you happy." Hiccup said as I turned to face her in her dragon form and she nudged me.

She put her head around my neck in a hug. I returned the hug and felt the warm feeling I always had when she was with me. I knew she would keep her promise, but that still didn't get rid of the empty feeling. But there was nothing neither I or even Hiccup could even do about it. I was just happy to have her right here with me.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

(Three months later)

"You're right Mildew. She'll cage them tonight and in the morning, Hiccup will send them off the island. I'm sorry lass." Stoick said facing his daughter.

All I had to do was look in her eyes and see how hurt she was. "Dad, we can't send them away, especially Toothless. If you send him away you'll only be putting the rest of the village in even more danger because you know what will happen if I lose control." Hiccup pleaded.

"I'm sorry Hiccup. But we'll figure something out, I'm sorry but they have to go." Stoick said walking away.

Hiccup looked at me and ran toward the forest. I raced after her and followed her into the forest. I could sense her heart racing and her emotions rising faster. She was going to change and lose control at any second. I had to reach her. She stopped at the edge of the cove and sank to her knees.

I walked up behind her and nudged her arm. She looked at me and threw her arms around me. I wrapped my wings around us both. I could feel her salty tears racing down my underbelly and her cheeks growing hotter the more her sobs racked her body. I put her down and offered her to climb on my back but she backed up and changed into her dragon form.

"Toothless I am so sorry. I couldn't stop them from splitting us up again." She sobbed.

"It's not your fault Hiccup. And this is not the end, we'll find a way. For now, how about we take one last flight around the island. Just us." I offered.

"Alright." She said as her sobs died down.

We launched off the edge and raced through the sea stacks. We had been racing for months, each trying out race the other to reach the other side. She won each time, but I could tell her heart wasn't in our racing. She was still sad about her father's decision and was afraid of losing me. Just as she had been since we both found our feeling for each other.

It started to get dark and we raced back to the Great Hall. She changed back and asked me to follow her. She settled with her friends. Normally they were lively chatting or discussing what to do for fun they next time they can step away from their families. But tonight all any of them could talk about was how much they were going to miss their dragon companions.

"We can't let that happen, Toothless is the love of my life and the only one I'll ever have." She whispered to herself.

I cooed as she rubbed her hand on my head, her hands were always so soft and warm. But my daydream was short lived.

"Oh, Toothless, I'm gonna miss you so much." I heard a voice say mockingly was it got closer.

We looked up, it was the old man from earlier, the one had convinced Hiccup's father to send us away.

"You know what your mistake was, thinking dragons could be trained. A dragon's gonna do what a dragon's gonna do. It's their nature, and nature always wins." He said smugly as he walked away.

I could feel Hiccup's anger and frustration. It was a good thing the old man didn't know about her ability to change into one of my kind. Who knows what he would do if he knew. Presently a cold gust of air blew through the Great Hall and blew the fire out. I turned around and reignited it. The woman behind me thanked me. At least not all the humans were against us.

"You know what, Mildew's absolutely right. Come on love, I have an idea." She said as we raced out of the Great Hall.

I didn't know what she had in mind, but her plans had worked in the past, so all I could do was trust her to know what she was doing.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Toothless and I flew past the village and met up with the others. I stopped them from closing the other dragons in the arena and explained my plan to them. They were a little uneasy because this was not what my father wanted but they all knew that I was not ready to let my Dad make his decision without seeing that the dragons could be taught.

I instructed the others to hide their dragons in the woods and I would take care of the rest. Everyone brought their dragons to the cove and I instructed the dragons to get some rest and that everything would make sense in the morning.

As much as I wanted Toothless to come home with me, he had to stay with the other dragons.

"I'll be alright my love, and if everything goes right tomorrow, we won't have to worry about being kept apart." He replied as he wrapped his neck around mine in a hug.

I changed into my human form and hugged him as tight as I could. I never wanted it to end, but we had to let go and I had to get home before my Dad got any ideas. The other trainers and I ran back to the village and went home. As I laid in bed, I got this tight nervous feeling in my chest. I knew what I was doing and I was scared, but I was more afraid of losing the one I love more. I closed my eyes and tried to convince myself that I was doing the right thing because I knew I was, but the uneasy feeling never went away.

_I was playing in my room with my mother working on one of her tapestries. Suddenly we heard yelling from outside and a loud knock on the door._

_My mother got up and grabbed me. She took me to the closet by my bed and closed the doors._

_"Stay in here and don't come out." My mother said holding the doors._

_He left me in the darkness and disappeared downstairs. I listened as I heard a man and my mother yelling and fighting. I peeked out and slowly crawled out and under my bed. I listened to the voices and what they were saying._

_"We will find her Valhallarama, and when we do you can be sure that she won't be around much longer." I heard a harsh voice say to my mother as it got closer to the stairs._

_Whoever it was, was coming up stairs and was looking for me. I wanted to get back in the closet and hide but it was too late. By the time I would have gotten, they would see me and I would be hurt. All I could do was stay put and stay quiet. I heard the man coming up and I could feel my body shaking. I put my hands over my mouth to keep myself quiet and prayed to Thor that they wouldn't see me._

_As the man came into view, I felt my body start to shake harder and my heart beat faster and faster. I was worried that he would hear it and find me. But just walked right past me and searched through everything. When he didn't see me, he left my room and went back down to my mother._

_"Well, where did you hide her Valhallarama?" I heard the scary man ask her._

_I didn't hear my mother answer. "Alvin isn't known for his patience, I suggest you tell him what he wants to know." I heard another man say to my mother._

_Again, nothing._

_"Kill her." I heard the scary man say._

_I jumped out of my hiding place and screamed for them to stop. They looked up at me and had this evil glint in their eyes. As I looked at them, I couldn't find any hint of a soul in them. It was like they were lifeless demon puppets._

_"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" the big scary man asked as he walked up the stairs and stood towering over me. "You're Stoick's little runt aren't ya?" he said as he reached down to grab me._

_I slipped between his legs and ran down the stairs to my mother. She pushed the other man out of her way and held me close. The big scary man came back down and stood in front of my mother._

_"Tell me Val, what is her name? Wait don't tell me, it's Hiccup isn't it? Of course, the old Viking tradition. A runt called a hiccup." He chuckled._

_"If you want to hurt my daughter, you'll have to kill me first." My mother spat venomously._

_"Don't get ahead of yourself. Your turn will come, but first, it's the runt's turn." He said reaching for me._

_My father burst through the front door and grabbed the scary man and threw him into his friend. My mother pushed me towards the door._

_"Sweetie, listen to me, I want you to run alright. Run into the woods and don't come out until your father or I come to find you." She said dragging me to the back of the house._

_"Mommy, I'm scared." I said feeling my body shaking._

_"Just go and hide my sweet, we'll handle this." She said with a smile._

_I hugged her one more time and ran in the opposite direction into the woods. I heard my mother scream her battle cry. I ran as fast as I could and kept running until I thought my legs would fall off. I found a tree with a small cave under it. I crawled in and hunched against the wall. I hugged my knees to my chest and felt my tears start to burn my eyes. I prayed that my mother and father would be okay and that we would be together again._

I woke up and jolt up in bed. I had a cold sweat running over my entire body. My body was shaking and I could barely breathe. My Dad came upstairs, and knelt down beside me bed.

"Hiccup, are you alright?" he asked.

When I could finally find my voice I answered, "Yeah, I'm fine."

He didn't seem convinced. "You want to talk about it?" he asked.

"It was that nightmare again, about the night Mom died. Why did Mom have to have run and hide myself? Why didn't she come with me?" I asked feeling the hot tears start to sting my eyes.

"I know you miss her, but there is nothing we can do. Your mother gave her life to protect yours and every day that I see you alive and safe, I tell myself that her sacrifice was not in vain. She would be proud of you for what you have done for our village." He said rubbing my back.

"Even that part about me being able to change into a Night Fury?" I asked with a weak giggle.

"Your mother would love you no matter what. I saw it in her eyes everyday she held you close." He said combing my hair with his fingers. "How about you go back to sleep? We have a lot to do tomorrow." He said going back down stairs. "Good night."

"Good night Dad." I said laying back down. 'Tomorrow, everything will be alright.' I reassured myself closing my eyes and falling back to sleep.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

My heart was racing as I watched my Dad and Gobber enter the arena. Everything went according to plan, but Mildew being as ungrateful as he was, ratted us out to my Dad and now our dragons were locked up behind us and we were standing in the middle of the arena waiting to see what my Dad was going to do to us.

I felt this overwhelming sense of guilt in my chest. I just wanted to stop my Dad form sending the dragons away for good. But now everyone was in trouble because of me and who knows what he had in mind for the dragons, especially Toothless.

'You all disobeyed my orders and there will be consequences." He said as he walked closer to us.

"I told you we were going to get in trouble. You never listen to me." Astrid whispered.

"Dad if anyone's going to get in trouble it should be me." I said steeping forward hoping to change my Dad's mind about punishing the others. It was my idea so I should be the one to take the consequences.

"No you all had a hand in this." My Dad deadpanned.

I swore I could hear Mildew sneering in the background but all my thoughts were how we were going to get out of this one.

"You took over this place without asking, you released the dragons against my wishes. Things are going to change around here. That's why…"

"…You're getting a dragon training academy!" Gobber surprised us.

"Gobber, I wanted to tell them." My Dad complained.

My heart did a dance in my chest. I couldn't help but smile at everyone and think about what we had just done. We now had a place we could train our dragons and be out of everyone's way when we did so, as well as a place where Toothless could train me to control my Night Fury abilities.

"I'm sorry you're right, go ahead." Gobber offered.

"Well you told most of it." My Dad complained again.

"You can tell them the part about how proud you are of them."

"Gobber! Hiccup, well, what he said." Dad explained turning to us. "You've all made me proud. This dragon training academy, is for you." He said pushing on the lever releasing the dragons back to us.

Toothless and I rushed and held each other close. I listened to his heart and he listened to mine. I felt at ease knowing we had done a good thing and that now Toothless and I didn't have to worry about being torn apart again.

"Now all you have to do is train 'em." My Dad said warmly.

"Not a problem Dad. After all, I've got him." I said holding Toothless close. I heard Astrid clear her throat. "And them too." I said giggling.

Toothless and I went to bad that night happier than ever that we had succeeded. Now we had aplace we could train and we could stay together.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

(A month later)

I was flying through the clouds to get the feeling of mist in my wings. Hiccup was back at the academy helping the others learn to get along with their dragons. I loved flying with her, but sometimes I just needed some time to myself.

I flew back to the academy and joined Hiccup and the others. It looked like everything was going great although Hiccup's cousin and the Fire One were still on awkward caring but still rather antagonistic behavior toward each other.

Hiccup was just helping Astrid finish designs for her saddle when she turned to leave. I turned to follow her but Astrid stopped me.

"We need you here Toothless. We have something we need to talk about Hiccup." She whispered.

I was curious about what they would want to about Hiccup to me, but not to her. But I didn't argue I just settled down and listened.

"Alright guys, we have a lot to talk about while Hiccup's gone and we don't have much time." She said as she paced in front of the other teens.

"Yeah it is." Fishlegs agreed.

"Wait what are you talking about?" The one blonde twin named Tuffnut asked.

As far as I could tell, the twins were not the sharpest rocks in the gorge. But even I was a little curious about what she was talking about.

"You know, tomorrow is Hiccup's birthday, she's turning fifteen." Fishlegs said turning to the twins.

'Her birthday, why didn't she tell me about it?' I asked myself.

"If it's so important, why didn't she say something before?" Snotlout asked clearly irritated.

"Well the thing is, Hiccup doesn't like to celebrate her birthday because her Mom was killed the day before her seventh birthday. After that, she acts like her birthday doesn't even exist." Astrid said.

"If this bothered you, why didn't you do something before?" Snotlout asked pointing at Astrid.

"Because all those years, I didn't think about it, I just noticed things but didn't really give them much thought until after Snoggletog. For the past few months I wondered what it must have been like for her but now I really want to do something for her. I mean she has done so much for us, the least we can do is try and help her celebrate her birthday." Astrid explained.

"I thought she didn't want to." The other blonde twin named Ruffnut interjected.

"That's why it's going to be a surprise. Stoick and Gobber are already setting it up in the Great Hall. All we have to do is keep Hiccup distracted and make sure she doesn't find out. And that is how Toothless is going to help us." Astrid explained pointing to me. I raised an eyebrow.

'How am I going to help?' I thought.

"How is he going to help us with that?" Fishlegs asked.

"Because he's going to act like something is wrong and that the only way to help him is on another island. We will insist to come with her and when it's time, he act like all better and then when we come home, all we have to do is convince Hiccup to go up to the Great Hall. Stoick and Gobber will have everything ready by then. They said to have her ready by sunset. That's how long we have to keep her busy." Astrid explained.

I gave the plan some thought. It Sounded like it might work, but I felt bad about having to lie to the one I love to make it work. But I convinced myself that it was for a good cause. We all readied for Hiccup to come back. She entered the arena, I made a face that looked like I was in some discomfort and made a whine to get her attention.

"Toothless are you alright?" she asked kneeling next to me.

"He's been like that since he came back from his flight Hiccup. I think there's something wrong with him." Astrid said with concern in her voice.

Hiccup looked at me with worry in her eyes. She changed into her dragon form and began asking me questions.

"Toothless what's wrong?" she asked her voice heavy with worry.

"I think it's dragon heart. It's the organ that allows me to use magic and cats spells. I think it's almost drained of magic." I replied feigning pain. "If I don't return to the island where I was born to rejuvenate it, I'll lose my magic and whatever strength I have left, I'll die." I explained.

"I'll take you to the island, where is it, how do we get there?" she asked with determination in her voice.

"It's an island not far from Dragon Island. When you reach Dragon Island, head due west, there's island with a mountain with a water running out of a cave near the summit. That's where I was born." I explained weakly.

"Got it, don't worry my love, I'll save you. I promise." She said her voice strong with determination.

She changed back and explained what I had just told her to the other teens. I gave Astrid a wink and she winked back. I was proud of myself for the story I was able to come up with. There was no such thing as a dragon heart and the island I had just described to her was not where I was born. I was born at the rookery like all the others, but as long as she bought the story and we kept her busy long enough it would be worth it.

"Alright, Toothless is too weak to fly, so we'll use the boat I use on Snoggletog to bring the babies here and use that to carry him to the island." Hiccup said pacing going through her plan.

"Hiccup, we'll carry the ship. You should ride inside with Toothless, he's going t need you now more than ever." Astrid said.

"You're right," Hiccup sighed looking back at me. "Alright, let's get the boat and get your dragons ready." Hiccup instructed.

She stayed behind while the others got the boat ready and I managed to feign weakly walking to get on. She stayed in the haul with me while the others and their dragons carried us to the island I had described to her. She rubbed her hands up and down my hyde the entire trip telling me that she was not going to let me die and that she was going to do whatever it took to save me.

I felt my heart flutter in my chest. I knew she would do anything for me, but I still felt bad about having to lie to her, but I reminded myself that it was for a good reason and that it would all be worth it in the end.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Everything was going great, Hiccup had no idea what we were up to and she still believed that I needed her help. Once we reached the island, she changed into her dragon form and asked me how she could help me rejuvenate my dragon heart.

"I have to be in the cave at the mountain's summit by midday and drink from the waters of the falls. The waters will rejuvenate my dragon heart and keep me well strengthened for another century." I explained trying to keep it as believable as possible.

"Got it. I'll get you there." She said reaching to lift me on to her shoulders.

"No, I have to get there myself." I said stopping her.

"But you can barely even walk right now. How are you going to make it all the way up there?" she asked.

"I said I had to make the journey, I didn't say you couldn't be there when I need you." I said feigning to weakly stand.

Astrid and her dragon came in. "Hiccup, we better hurry. I thought I heard wolves coming."

Hiccup looked at me and let me lean against her for support. "Alright love, let's go. I'll help you get there. Just let me know when you need to rest." She said as we all started for the cave.

I felt a pang in my chest. Hiccup was really scared for my life and here I was pretending to be in danger just so her family can celebrate her birthday when she doesn't want to. Now I really did feel sick, I started wondering if I should tell her the truth, but then I remembered what everyone was putting into this for her and I held my tongue. All I could do was keep up my façade until I needed to and then after this was all over, I could tell her what was really going on and hopefully she would understand.

"Toothless, are you okay?" Hiccup said shaking me from my thoughts.

"I'm hanging in there. The cave shouldn't be much farther, just at the top of the mountain. That's where I was born." I said as Hiccup and I trudged while the others flew just above us.

"Once we get there, the others will help you to the top." She said as we got closer to the mountain's base.

"I thought I told you…"

"You said you had to get there by yourself. You didn't say you couldn't have help." She said looking me in the eye with a look that told me she was not going to stop until she felt that I was safe.

Now I really felt guilty about lying but I kept reminding myself that it was for her birthday and that she would understand.

When we reached the base, she passed me off to Stormfly who carried me until she passed me on to Hookfang then Meatlug then the twin's Two-headed One they called Barf and Belch. Then when I was close to the summit I was passed back to Hiccup. She carried me the rest of the way to the cave and set me down near the entrance. I looked out over the side and saw that we only had to keep her busy awhile longer.

"Alright, what do you have to do now?" Hiccup asked shaking me from my thoughts again.

"I need to drink the waters from the waterfall at the time which I was born. In about an hour I just have to hold on 'til then." I said holding onto the act.

"Okay. Not much longer and you'll be safe." She said sounding like she as trying to calm down.

"Don't worry, it's almost over. Everything's going to be okay." I said hoping to calm her nerves. "I'll be fine."

It took a lot of convincing form not just me but also from the others for her to settle down, but she eventually settled down next to me and draped her wing over me. The others said they were heading back to the village to explain where she would be for a while. Hiccup and I promised to fly back when I was ready to fly.

When we were alone, we waited for the time to come. We watched the sun as it grew rosier and brighter the closer it got to the horizon. When it was time, Hiccup leaned me onto her shoulder and helped me over to the waterfall. She let me go long enough for me to tilt my head into the falls and drink what I let her believe was what I needed to save my 'dragon heart'. Once I was done, she supported me again and we headed back in.

"Okay, it will take a while for it to work, but I will be okay in a few minutes." I said as I got comfortable on the cave floor.

"I'm so glad. I was afraid I was going to lose you just like I lost my mother." She said rubbing her head against mine.

"I have wondered this for a while now, but what happened to your mother?" I asked.

"It's not a night I like to remember. I was upstairs in my room playing while my mother was working on her tapestry. Everything had been quiet, until we heard shouting and someone trying to break into our house. My mother hid me in my closet and told me to stay in. I heard fighting and shouting go n down stairs. I was too scared to go down, but I left the closet and hid under my bed. The one fighting my mother threatened to kill my mother and I gave myself away and they almost had me.

"My mother protected me and my father bought us enough time for my mother to get me out of my house and for me to hide in the woods. My mother told me to hide in the woods until she or my father came for me. I ran until I found a tree with a hollow base and hid there. The entire time I was hiding I was praying that my parents would be okay. But when my father found me he told me that my mother had been killed trying to protect me.

"To make matters worse, my birthday was the next day, today in fact. Instead of celebrating my birthday the next day we spent the day arranging my mother's funeral. I haven't wanted to celebrate my birthday since because I haven't felt like I deserve it. My mother is dead because of me." She told me with tears in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know how much it hurt." I said draping my wing over her.

"I miss her so much. Every night, after she would sing to me, she look out my window and say to me a quote form one of her favorite poems, 'As you look to the stars above always know that you are loved'."

"Such a beautiful saying." I said nudging her head.

"It was the poem my father said to my mother when they were married. He said it as his vow that he would love her forever."

"Well now I know where you were blessed with your loyalty to your emotions. Your father raised you well, despite the neglect of father-daughter connection."

"I know." She said leaning against me.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

While we waited for me to supposedly get better, we watched the sun as it set and I never thought a sunset could get any more beautiful. As I watched it, I glanced at Hiccup I saw the light dance on her scales and it made her look so beautiful I thought I would melt if I looked much longer. The way it made her scales shine ebony with the slightest hints of violet and the way it made the emerald in her eyes shine like the most precious of gems.

Hiccup noticed I was staring. "Is something wrong Toothless?"

I didn't answer, all I could do was lean down toward her. "Toothless?" she asked as I got closer to her.

We were only inches apart, then before I could second guess myself, I closed the distance between us and felt the heat of her blush cross her face. Her lips felt so soft and she tasted of winter roses and the mist on a mountain on a crisp winter day. It was such a beautiful taste. Hiccup didn't fight, she returned the kiss and wrapped her wings around me in a hug. We remained this way for a few minutes and when we finally broke apart, I looked out and saw it was time for us to leave.

"We should probably get back." I said feeling awkward about what we had just shared.

"Yeah, are you feeling okay?" she said standing up.

"Yeah, I can fly." I said getting up.

We walked to the cave entrance and shared one last glance then took off for home. The flight home was awkward for both of us. Neither of us said a word, and I knew why. I had kissed her for the first time since we both confessed we loved each other. It was awkward for both of us and neither of us knew how to react. All we knew was that I had kissed her and that she had returned the kiss.

When we returned to the village, Hiccup changed into her human form and we started to make our way back to her house. We were almost at the front door when Astrid came running.

"Hiccup, your father and Gobber are looking for you, they want to see you in the Great Hall." She said winking at me.

"Okay, I'm coming." She said trying to hide her awkward feelings.

Astrid winked at me and I winked back. Hiccup started to make her way to the Great Hall and Astrid and I followed suit. When Hiccup opened the doors, everyone yelled her surprise. She looked around and looked like she was about to cry. From the smell of her tears, she was crying from joy.

Roses were wound around the pillars and were strewn across the ceiling. The center table was lined with mutton, fish and all of her favorite foods. Candles burned on the table and they smelled of the mint she always put in her hair when she washed every morning. The Great Hall never looked more beautiful.

"I…I don't know what to say." Hiccup said wiping her tears away. "Thank you, all of you." She said turning to everyone.

The festivities went on until the early hours of the morning. I don't think I had ever seen Hiccup so happy since we were able to be together when we ended to war.

When it was all over, Hiccup and I went for a flight around the island. We stopped at the cove to have a little time to ourselves.

"So now I figured it out. All that about dying from a depleted dragon heart was just a way to get me away while my Dad and Gobber set up this celebration." She said resting against me.

"Yes. I'm sorry I lied to you. I hated it but I knew it would all be worth it in the end and hopefully you would understand why I had to." I said apologizing.

"I do understand, and I forgive you, more than forgive you. All this time, I never wanted to celebrate my birthday and now everyone went through all this to help me celebrate my birthday, I have never been so happy in my life." She said

"I'm glad. I'm so happy I was able to help you find happiness after all these years of pain." I said rubbing my head against hers.

We remained that way for a few minutes then we got up and returned home to the village. Once we were home, Hiccup got into bed and fell asleep as soon as she hit the pillow. I laid awake for a few minutes thinking about what had happened back on the island earlier that day. I had kissed Hiccup and she kissed me back. We had just had our first kiss. This rattled in my head for a while until my eyes got heavy and I too fell asleep.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

(two months later)

I felt the wind rushing around me as I fell through the sky. I was falling, but I wasn't scared. I knew Toothless would catch me, he always does. I righted myself and landed safely in the saddle.

"Good catch love." We pulled back and met up with the others. "Alright it's your turn, jump." I said turning to Fishlegs.

"I don't want to jump…" he said reluctantly.

"You have to believe she's going to catch you. It's a trust exercise." I said trying to help him understand the purpose of this training.

"I like to do my trusting on the ground thank you very much." He said stubbornly.

"Like this Chicken-legs." Snotlout sneered as he flipped off of Hookfang.

Hookfang just kept going like he didn't notice. Toothless got his attention and directed to the fact that Snotlout was plummeting to the ground.

"Not feeling the trust!" Snotlout called out.

Hookfang dove after him, but despite their efforts, the crashed into the house of someone I hoped we wouldn't have to deal with for a while, Mildew's. They flew back out and crashed the roof again doing so.

"You'll pay for this!" Mildew called out to us.

I got a tight uneasy feeling in my chest. "Something tells me we're gonna hear about this." I groaned.

I was right, that night, my Dad showed me a broken shingle.

"Shingle again? Didn't we have roofing material for dinner last night?" I joked weakly hoping to lighten the tense atmosphere, but my Dad was not amused. "It was an accident Dad. I'm sure Mildew is making sound worse than it is." I said realizing I was not going to make things any easy just by joking.

"A dragon and a huge obnoxious boy crashed through his roof, twice." My Dad deadpanned.

"Okay sure it sounds bad if you're gonna stick to the facts." I said feeling the tight uneasiness getting heavier.

"Of all the houses on the island, a dragon had to crash through Mildew's. You know he hates dragons more than anyone else." He scolded.

"I know, you might want to talk to him about his attitude." I said hoping to change the subject, but with my Dad in this situation, there was no changing anything.

"Listen to me Hiccup, I gave you the responsibility of training those dragons. Everyone knows that, all eyes are upon you lass. Whatever those beasts do reflects on you and whatever you do reflects on me." He said sounding like he was under as much pressure as I was and in a way he was.

"I'm sorry Dad, you're right." I said getting up feeling defeated.

"You and your friends are going to go back to Mildew's house and fix that roof, without your dragons." He said pointing to Toothless.

"You caught a break there, love." I said stroking his head.

"Uh, not so fast. Aren't you forgetting something?" he said getting my attention again. "It's boot night, they need to be aired out." He said handing me his boots.

It really wouldn't have bothered me if not for the smell, which with my new sense of smell form my Night Fury side made worse. Not even Toothless could stand it.

"I think it's gonna take more than air." I groaned.

I opened the door and placed down on the front step then went back inside. After leaving the boots out for the night, I went upstairs and laid down to go to sleep. I looked over at Toothless's bed and saw he was there, but not really looking tired. Not really sure what to do, I got up and changed into my dragon form.

"Are you alright Toothless?" I asked settling down close to him.

"I'm fine. I just haven't been able to stop thinking about what happened on that island two months ago, you know the kiss." He answered awkwardly.

I felt a heavy blush across my cheeks, thank Thor my scales hide the redness. "What about it?" I asked.

"It's just, that was our first kiss and after everything we have been through, of all the times we could've kissed, we chose then. I was just wondering if it meant anything, to you." He explained.

To be honest, I didn't know how to answer. I felt that it meant something, I just couldn't put my finger on it. And I'm sure Toothless felt the same way. But when I opened my mouth to answer, I couldn't find the right words to say.

"I…uh well…I just… I mean I felt that it did, I just don't know what? You know I love you, but I just never kissed anyone before you and at the time, I didn't know how to feel about it. I feel that it meant something, I just can't place it." I explained awkwardly.

"I understand. You don't have to tell me here and now because I'm in the same position. I felt it meant something too, I just can't figure it out." He said resting his head on mine. "There'll be plenty of time to figure it out later. Right now, you'd better get some rest, you and your friends have a roof to repair tomorrow." He said with a small grin on his face.

I gave him a small shove then walked over to my bed and changed back to my human form and went to bed. I laid awake for a few minutes and then closed my eyes. I didn't really fall asleep until a little later, but I graciously welcomed it. I was going to need all my energy tomorrow to fix the crank old man's roof.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

The day never went exactly as we planned. Instead of waking up to go fix Mildew's roof, I woke up having to hunt down everyone's boots. And where we found them made my heart sink. They were piled around Barf and Belch in the academy.

"So there's a bunch of boots piled around a Zippleback, that doesn't mean…" my Dad showed me a tattered boot. "…okay fine he took the boots." I admitted defeated.

Everyone was upset and Mildew was only making things worse. "How long before something is done about these creatures Stoick, how much more can we stand?" he yelled getting the crowds attention.

Everyone was agreeing with him again, thankfully Gobber stepped in. "Listen to yourselves, 'my feet are cold.' You're Vikings everything is cold. I'll fix your boots for you, you'll be back to work in no time." He said appealing to their pride as Vikings.

"You all heard Gobber, you'll be getting your boots back as good as new." My Dad said calming everyone's frustration.

I heaved a sigh of relief, but Mildew wasn't done. "That's it, no consequence for these dragons?" he questioned in disappointment.

"They took our boots Mildew. The world isn't coming to an end." My Dad deadpanned.

"Oh, don't be so sure, dragons are wild beasts. There's no telling what else they'll do behind our sleeping backs." Mildew argued darkly.

I wasn't going to just stand there and let him talk about Toothless like that. "They don't destroy things on purpose." I argued. "But you do have a point Mildew, they are wild animals and they need us to keep an eye on them and rest assured we will do just that." I didn't like saying it, but I couldn't let Mildew know about my secret.

Everyone in the village knew what I could do, but Mildew never found out and Toothless and I planned to keep it that way. Who knows what he would do if he found out.

I whispered for Barf and Belch to leave and as they did, I noticed something strange about the footprints. Barf's and Belch's were deeper than the ones we found, no deeper than mine. But I had other things to think about, like how to make sure the dragons don't get blamed for anything else again. I had an idea.

I asked the others to meet me at the landing outside the forge. "We're going on night patrol." I said revealing my idea.

Needless to say there were some who were not so pleased with the idea. "Guys, we have to do this, you heard Mildew, he wants the dragons banished." I said getting their attention about the seriousness of the situation.

"Permission to shoot first and ask questions later." Ruffnut asked.

"Permission to skip the question." Tuffnut asked.

"We're just patrolling, no one is shooting anyone." I said quickly knowing what they had in mind.

"I have a question, what's fun about that?" Tuffnut asked disappointed.

"It's not supposed to be fun it's a Hiccup idea." Astrid answered.

"Exactly." I said but then realized what she was implying. "What?"

That night, I remained in my human form and rode in the saddle to patrol the village with Toothless. Just in case Mildew saw us. Everything seemed okay. No one was out late and all the dragons seemed to be okay.

"Well Mildew will be pleased to know what dragons do at night, they sleep like everyone else." I commented to Toothless.

We spent the rest of the night patrolling the forests and around the village again and again to make sure we didn't miss anything. It was almost day break when we were called to the Great Hall and what we saw made my heart skip a beat.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

The Great Hall was a mess, there were claw marks all over the tables, the pillars and the tapestries were shredded. None of this sat right with me, we were up all night and every dragon was asleep with every pass we made through the village. But Fishlegs wasn't helping things when my Dad asked who could've done it.

"Looks like a dragon to me." He said not realizing he was making it worse.

"We don't know for sure, Fishlegs." I said hoping he'd take a hint.

"Sure we do, look at these claw marks, it was obviously a Monstrous Nightmare. That spacing of the talons is dead on." He said apparently not getting it.

"Once again, thank you Fishlegs." I said feeling very annoyed and worried and Snotlout didn't help in the least once he showed that he obviously had something to tell us. "Okay, what happened Snotlout?" I asked getting a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"While I was detaining a suspect, who wasn't showing sufficient respect to the sash…"

"I think I show sufficient to a sash that says, DUMB." Gobber said pointing at him.

"We gotta change that name." Astrid sighed.

"Anyways, as I was questioning said suspect, Hookfang may have, and I'm not saying he did, but it is possible he wandered off for a few…"

"Seconds?" Ruff pleaded.

"Minutes?" Tuff pleaded back.

They were clearly as worried about this situation as the rest of us and hoped for just a little good news. No such luck.

"Hours." Came Snotlout's answer.

We all groaned knowing that this didn't look good to begin with and now with Snotlout's story, it only made things worse. And it only got all the more worse when Mildew came in.

"Oh no, it's true, the Great Hall. So many memories, my three weddings, their three funerals. Oh the funerals." He said getting that look on his face that said he enjoyed the funerals more than the weddings. But he was Mildew, that's kind of what you could expect from him.

But I had other things to worry about, like how was I supposed to defend the dragons' innocence when all the damage points to Hookfang.

"A dragon must have gone a rampage. I hate to say it Stoick but you're gonna have to…" Gobber said turning to us.

"I know what has to be done Gobber." My Dad finished.

"So do I." Mildew jumped in.

My Dad turned to me. "Starting tonight and every night, I want all the dragons out in the academy under lock and key." He instructed me and I knew he was talking about Toothless too.

"This just doesn't make any sense. A dragon wouldn't come in here and just destroy the place, I mean, none of the food was even touched." I argued, but I could already tell there was no changing his mind.

H and the others left leaving me and the other riders feeling defeated and hurt, me most of all. Now Toothless was going to have to stay locked up with the other dragons as if nothing we did changed anything. When I told him about it, he could tell I was no happier about it than he was, but there was nothing we could do until we could prove that the dragons were innocent.

"I'm so sorry love, I failed you, I know I did. I won't even ask for you to forgive me, I don't deserve it." I said looking away from too ashamed to look at him.

"It's not your fault, you did everything you could and I'm proud of you for that. We just have to work harder to prove that my people didn't do anything wrong." He said lifting my head to face him with his tail. "We'll get through this my love, I know we will. We always do." He said wrapping his wing around me.

That evening, I rode Toothless to the academy. Normally, we would have been excited to get started on training, but tonight we were not training, we locking the dragons up like nothing changed since the war. Once everyone was at the academy, every one worked getting their dragons settled down for the night. There was a lot of finger pointing and blame going around about whose fault it was, but I didn't think that there was any one in our group to blame. Someone wanted the dragons to take all the blame and make me look like I can't keep them under control.

"I don't think a dragon wrecked the Great Hall, or stole the boots." I said speaking what was on my mind.

"None of us wants to believe it either Hiccup, but you saw the proof." Astrid said.

"What proof? You saw the footprints too, they were supposed to be made by a Zippleback, but they were no deeper than mine. Look at these, I could lie down in them." I argued gesturing to a print in front of me.

Everyone wasn't exactly being supportive.

"Okay well, how do explain the Great Hall?" Astrid asked quizzically.

As if on cue, Hookfang began throwing a temper-tantrum. "Snotlout do something about him please. We're trying to think over here." I sighed. "Snotlout." I sighed again.

"I'm not the boss of him. He always does that when he gets angry." He said matter of factly.

Then it hit. "…or goes on a rampage," I whispered in thought. "That's how I can explain the Great Hall!" I exclaimed jumping into the saddle. "I've got to talk to my Dad about this." I said flying out of the academy.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

It was always hard to tell what Hiccup was thinking once she got an idea in her head, but that's what I loved about her. How she was always willing to find ways to make things better even when it seemed hopeless.

She and I flew towards the Great Hall, once there, she asked me to wait outside. I understood why, it might not be the best idea for me to be where there was a supposed dragon incident earlier that day.

"I'll be right back." She said before closing the door.

I sat down and rested while she went in to talk with her father. She was only gone for a minute when I heard something not far from the Great Hall. I not sure if I should follow it, but if it was a threat, I had to see what it was. I followed where I had seen a strange figure go through a door. Once inside, the figure was gone. I heard a window bang close, I looked but it looked like it had just been blown by the wind. I tried to get a closer look but something else caught my attention, the smell of something burning. I turned my head and saw someone had lit a wick and it was about to explode a barrel. I only had enough time jump back and leap out the doors.

The building was consumed in flames, I ran to find Hiccup to warn her, but everyone was already arriving.

"The armory!" Hiccup's father cried. "Grab some buckets!" he yelled as everyone scrambled to save the building.

If it was they kept their weapons then they were going to need us more than ever. But things didn't turn out so great. Someone said they saw me set the armory on fire and I felt my stomach sink. Hiccup looked at me in disbelief. She knew me better than that, but no one was willing to listen to her given how thing had been for the past few days.

Everyone did the best they could to save the armory, but it wasn't enough. It was gone within an hour. Hiccup tried desperately to defend me, but no was having any of it, not even her father.

"These dragons have done too much damage. It's no longer safe to have them on Berk, I want them gone." He ordered her.

"What!" Hiccup cried out.

I felt her heart miss a beat. She was scared and hurt, just five months ago she and I had to prove she could keep the rest of the dragons in line and now her father was asking her to send all the dragons, including me, away knowing the risk he was taking in doing so. But I knew Hiccup was afraid for different reasons.

She feared losing me because she was afraid of being alone again. Even when surrounded by her friends, she felt alone. As a result, every time we were separated, she had nightmares about the night she lost her mother and feared having to go through them again.

Things didn't look good for her right now either. Even her friends felt that it was over and just left her to feel the guilt of the fact she had not been able to save us. I stood by her and she turned to me threw her arms around my neck. Her tears ran down my body and I knew it was best to just let her cry for now.

"I'm so sorry my love." She cried between sobs. "I tried everything and now you and all the others dragons are being sent away. I failed."

"No you didn't." I said rubbing my paw up and down her back. "I didn't do it."

"I know you didn't but…" she said letting go and wiping her tears

"No I mean I think someone in the village was. Just before the armory burned down, I saw a burning rope in a barrel. I don't know who did it, but I know you'll figure it out." I said draping my wing over her.

We went to the house and settled down for the night. Instead of sleeping in her bed, she slept in mine next to me. I could tell she was really scared. I wrapped my wing over her and rested my head next to hers and fell into an uneasy sleep.


End file.
